From The Ashes
by TheUnholyCzar
Summary: Even after the Human-Covenant War ends, humanity becomes a danger...to itself. Let's follow a few Sangheili that are willing to help...    M for language.
1. Prologue: From the Ashes

_Prologue: For The Record_

_**Location: Interrogation Room #36, Orbital MAC Station "Cairo"**_

_**Date: Thursday, December 22, 2560**_

_**Station Clock: 07:00 Hours**_

A uniform-clad Sangheili looked at the door as it opened, revealing a high-ranking human officer on the other side. "Do you know why you're here today?"

"Can we just get this over with?" the Sangheili sighed, a look of slight annoyance on his face.

"Please state your name and rank for the record."

"1st Lieutenant Garek 'Izak."

"Is there a reason you wear a uniform instead of standard-issue SAF armor?"

"Yes," Garek said. "I'm a member of the Joint Operations task force."

"You're in the TRF, then?"

"That is correct."

"What unit are you with?"

"I am with Fireteam Alpha."

The human nodded. "Now, I'm just going to jump to the important questions. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," Garek said with a shrug.

"There was a coup that ended on our planet in the recent months. Did you have any hand in that?"

"Yes."

"Was it a solo op, or with your unit?"

"It was a unit-based operation."

"When was your team deployed?"

"I don't have the clearance to give that information," Garek said after a moment's hesitation.

"You do now. When I said 'for the record', I meant our records, not the public's."

Garek paused to consider this bit of information and think. "I believe it was...sometime in late 2558."

"Can you give a specific date?" After Garek simply shook his head, "Okay, what were your primary objectives?"

"We were mainly tasked to…er, hunt a couple of war criminals."

The officer opened a file a slid two pictures in front of Garek. "Are these the two?"

He instantly recognized the two humans in the photos, causing a small scowl to play on his mandibles. "Yes."

"So, you were deployed two years ago to take out these two targets? My file here says that the male was killed in spring of last year and the female in early autumn of this one. That's a long mission, Lieutenant."

"We had other missions to complete and the targets proved to be very...elusive."

The human leaned forward and folded his hands atop the table. "I'm listening."

"What do you mean?" Garek said, warily dropping his right hand underneath the table.

"I want the details. All of them, from the very beginning."

"_All_ of the details?"

"All of them."

Garek sighed quietly and shifted uncomfortably in the undersized chair. "I must warn you, it's a long story. It all began eight years ago..."


	2. Chapter 1: New Arrivals

_Chapter I: New Arrivals_

_**Location: Shadow of Intent, Fleet of Retribution, Earth's Orbit**_

_**Date: Thursday, November 27, 2552 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 06:00 hours **_

_"What are we getting ourselves into this time?"_ Garek thought as he walked to the _Shadow of Intent_'s command deck with three others. He knew they were going to the surface to assist a group of humans, but why pick this group of four specifically? Fortunately, he wasn't alone in his thoughts.

"What do you think Nazo wants?" Shara 'Hesum, the squad's medical officer, said.

"You know about as much as any of us, Shara," he replied. "As long as I get to spill Jiralhanae blood, I don't care." The others agreed to this with scowls upon their faces; Shara wasn't so quick to agree, however.

"Garek, there are only four of us, and the Gods only know how many Jiralhanae on the ground. I'm just not sure about this," Shara said.

Garek sighed. "Then why did you volunteer, Shara? I am sure I don't need to remind you what those bastards have done; you have seen it yourself," he said as she lowered her eyes to the floor. "I thought not."

"It is just...I don't know, Garek. I just have this odd feeling that something will go wrong," she stammered.

Garek stopped and looked at her. "You two go on ahead. Tell Nazo we'll be there shortly," he told the others. Making sure they were gone, he said, "Shara, all of us are afraid." Shara continued to stare at the floor as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now, I am not going to say everything is going to be fine, because it's not. This is war, Shara; everyone is afraid, but most take their fears and embrace them. All I ask is that you do the same, it will keep you alive," he whispered. "Do you understand?" He sighed as she nodded. "Alright. Let's go see what Nazo wants, shall we?"

Ultra Nazo 'Bezat glared impatiently at Garek as he approached the command deck. "It's about time, Major. I was about to begin without you and...you are?" he said when he spotted Shara beside Garek.

"Specialist 'Hesum, sir," Garek said before she could respond.

The Ultra looked at him incredulously. "A doctor, Major? Why is she not in the medical wing with the others?"

"Sir, she does not belong-"

"Spare me the excuses. I do _not_ have the time for them", Nazo said, cutting him off.

_"Damn...what crawled up his ass this morning?"_ Garek thought.

"Now, on to why I have gathered you here." He turned and entered the Command Deck, the group following, "Shipmaster, Major 'Izak's squad has arrived."

Rtas 'Vadum looked away from his view screen; he looked terrible, like he hadn't slept in days. _"He likely hasn't,"_ Garek thought as Rtas tiredly said, "So they have. I shall take it from here, 'Bezat."

Nazo saluted, "Of course, Shipmaster."

Scanning the group, he spotted Shara. "Only four of you...and a doctor, a female one at that," Rtas said absentmindedly. He shrugged and continued, "Major, you are to take your squad and assist the humans down in the African jungles."

"Assist humans," Ar'n 'Drakos scoffed lowly.

"Do you have a problem with that, Minor?"

"No sir," Ar'n quickly answered.

"Good. You are to stay with them until they reach their objective, here," Rtas said, pointing to a dot on a holographic map of the mission area. "Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Garek answered.

Rtas nodded. "You are dropping in ten minutes. I suggest you are _fully _prepared," he said, looking pointedly at Shara.

"I understand, Shipmaster," Garek said, knowing what he meant.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Location: Kenyan jungles, approximately 45 miles southwest of the city Voi.<strong>_

_**Local Time: 06:15 hours**_

Garek winced involuntarily when the drop pod hit the ground; he was used to jumping from Phantoms and _hated _the drop pods. Rangers called them steel caskets, and with good reason. "To hell with it," he said and kicked the door off of it's hinges instead of waiting for the seals to pop. He brought his Type 25 DER to bear and quickly scanned his surroundings. "Sir, I'm on the ground and mobile. I have no visual on the others, over."

_"Copy that. Marking their locations on your HUD now."_

Garek nodded slightly as the blips appeared on his display; one purple, two yellow. He sighed, noticing that he was too far away from the two yellow blips to assist them, so he made his way to the nearest one. As he approached the blip's owner, he wortled, receiving a feminine bark in reply.

"Garek? Thank the Gods," Shara said quietly, exiting a thicket.

"Where is your equipment?"

"My pod landed in a swamp not far from here. I didn't have the time to retrieve them," she answered.

"Have you heard from the others?"

"No. I think my comm may be damaged." She paused. "My shields aren't recharging, either."

Garek simply nodded and put his comm on a secure channel. "Minors 'Tsom and 'Drakos, report." After a moment, he repeated himself. He shook his head as his comm deactivated. "We need to go, Shara. I fear that they may have been discovered. Stay behind me."

A few minutes later, Garek signaled for Shara to stop as gunfire echoed through the trees. "Come on, you bastards," they heard someone shout.

"Rotje," they said simultaneously. Their comrade must have spotted them on his HUD, because his gunfire began getting further away.

"What's the matter, you dogs? Are you afraid of me?" They heard his taunting fade into the distance.

"Garek," Shara began, but he shook his head.

"We need to keep moving. I've already lost the other's location." They trekked slowly through the trees; for how long, they didn't know. Garek signaled Shara to stop when he heard voices over a hill. He slowly crept to the crest and peeked over, using the scope on his rifle to get a better view. He watched as three humans stopped to take a short rest.

"This is bullshit," he heard one grumble. He noticed that it was the shortest of the group, and his skin was the most pale.

Garek saw a name on the back of the human's helmet. "Maloy," he whispered to himself, taking note of the man in question.

He heard another chuckle. This one was slightly taller than Maloy and Garek could tell that this one was in charge. "Relax, Richard. They're on our side now," he said; he couldn't see the human's name.

"Doesn't mean I have to like 'em," The shorter one said, shaking his head.

The second one glared at his companion and said, "None of us like it, Richard. In case you haven't noticed, we're a little short-handed, so I'll take all the help I can get," he said, gesturing to the three of them. Garek finally noticed the tallest and darkest-skinned human, the third man in the squad, sigh and shake his head. "Something you'd like to share, Corporal?"

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think we should be so quick to trust them."

The second one sighed in annoyance. "Who said I trusted them? Elite or not, they're helping us, and that's that."

"I just don't have a good feeling about this, Captain", the tallest one said as they started to walk along.

The second one stopped and looked at them both. "When's the last time you felt good about anything?" Garek quickly but quietly moved down the hill, Shara directly behind him. Once he was in range, he tapped the Corporal on the shoulder, causing it to shout in surprise. "What is it this time, Corporal?" the second human asked in exasperation.

"Sir", the Corporal stuttered as Garek leaned down to look at the human's face.

"I swear to God, Corporal, if you..." He heard the second human pause. "You'll want to see this, Maloy!"

Garek glanced in their direction as heavy boot steps came running through the foliage. He heard the short one chuckle quietly. "He scares easy, doesn't he?" it asked to its commanding officer.

"Corporal, relax. They're the ones helping us," the second one called. Garek continued to stare at the Corporal through his helmets dark blue visor. "Are you going to look at him all day, or are you going to introduce yourselves?" the second one said as he walked over to the group. "Captain Fulmer, 61st Rangers. This is Corporal Trombley, and that's Staff Sergeant Maloy."

"Major Domo 'Izak of the 482nd Rangers, _Fleet of Retribution_, Sangheili Armed Forces. Covenant Separatists," he finished pointedly, hoping the humans would get the idea. "This is Specialist 'Hesum, my squad's medical officer," Garek said slowly as he shook the Captain's hand; he swore that he had seen this human somewhere before.

"I thought your doctors didn't go out in the field?" the Captain said.

"Times change," Garek shrugged.

The human nodded shortly. "That they do." It paused. "I thought there were supposed to be four of you."

"A Brute patrol ambushed us as soon as we landed and we got separated. I fear that the other two may be dead."

The Captain frowned and signaled Maloy to scout ahead. "Corporal, try to get in touch with Johnson, would you?"

"Fireteam Delta to Sergeant Johnson, over," he heard the Corporal say into his comm unit. Garek nodded for Shara to switch to the humans' comm channel.

_"We copy you, standby...Continue, Delta."_

"We've linked up with the Elite squad, over."

_"Copy that. Make your way to rally point Charlie-Two, Johnson out."_

"You get that, sir?" the Corporal asked, turning off his comm unit.

The Captain nodded and turned to Garek and Shara. "Hope you guys don't mind hiking. Let's move."

Garek turned to Shara, speaking in their native tongue, "Be wary of that Maloy character, Shara."

She nodded as the Captain said, "So, what brings you two to the _fine_ jungles of Africa?"

"Orders," Garek replied. "But, if you ask me, this is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources."

He saw the Captain tilt his head slightly. "Yeah, go on."

"Well, from my way of thinking," he began as they trekked through the dense foliage. "I believe that the Gods gave me a gift, molded me into a fine instrument of warfare."

"Maloy, pay attention, this is the proper way to gripe. Continue, Isaac," Captain Fulmer said.

Garek ignored the mispronunciation of his surname and continued. "What I meant by that, is...if you were to put myself and this rifle anywhere near that bastard, Truth, with a clear line of sight...well, that would be the end to this war."

"That's brilliant, squiddy," Maloy said sarcastically. "So, Captain, what? You don't gripe at all?"

"Well, I don't gripe to you, Maloy. I'm a Captain; there's a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down; always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on." The Captain shook his head. "I don't gripe to you. I don't gripe in _front of_ you. You should know that by now."

"Alright, let's say you weren't a Captain, or maybe I was a Major. What would you say then?"

"Well, if that was the case...I would say 'This is an excellent mission, sir, with an extremely valuable objective, sir, worthy of my best efforts, sir. Moreover, I feel heartfelt sorrow for all of the innocent civilians in danger, and am willing to lay down my life, and the lives of my men - especially you, Maloy - to see them safe'."

Corporal Trombley chuckled. "He's good."

"Whatever," Maloy sighed. "I just don't get it. What's the point of risking the five of us over one guy?"

"Anyone want to answer that?" Captain Fulmer said.

"Think about what's at stake here, human," Shara sighed. "Some of us have families back home…maybe this person has a mother you should consider?"

"Hey, Doc, I've got a mother, all right?" Garek heard her growl quietly at the nickname. "I mean, I'm sure you've got a mother; the Corporal over there's got a mother. Shit, I bet even the Captain's got a mother." The Captain shook his head slightly when Maloy looked back at him. "Well, maybe not the Captain, but the rest of us have mothers." Shara shook her head.

"There's not to reason why, there's but to do and die," Corporal Trombley said. Before he could continue, Maloy cut him off.

"Blah, blah, blah; what the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean, Corporal? We're all supposed to die, is that it?"

"He's talking about our duty as soldiers, Maloy," the Captain chided.

"Yes sir."

"We all have orders, and we have to follow them. That supersedes everything, including your mothers," the Captain explained.

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir."

"Even if you think the mission's FUBAR?" Maloy said.

"_Especially_ if you think the mission's FUBAR."

Garek tilted his head curiously. "What's FUBAR?"

He saw the Captain turn to explain, but was cut off by Maloy. "Oh, it's German. Right, Captain?" He turned to the Captain with a look that Garek couldn't read.

Captain Fulmer nodded. "That's right."

_"I guess my translator is malfunctioning,"_ Garek thought, but didn't ask further. The squad kept relatively quiet for the next half-hour as they continued through the jungle. Garek glanced over at Shara, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. "Shara, pay attention," he told her quietly.

"Sorry," she said, shaking her head as she put away a flower she had picked.

He sighed. "Just don't let your guard down." As he turned back toward the front, Paul signaled for them to get down. "What is it?" he whispered. The human replied by putting an index finger to his lips, then unsheathed his knife and held up four fingers. Maloy and Trombley nodded as he slid a finger across his throat. The Captain looked over to Garek and Shara, who shook their heads.

The Captain rolled his eyes, murmured something, and waved them over. "Four contacts on the other side of the hill. Take them out, quietly," he told them, retrieving a second knife and handing it to Shara.

"I'll cover you from here," Garek said, crawling to the crest of the hill and scanning the bottom through the scope of his Beam Rifle. The Captain nodded and waved the others on. He watched as they made short work of three sleeping Unggoy and a patrolling Kig-Yar. When the Captain looked up at him and gestured to his eyes, he stood and shook his head in the negative. "The area looks clear from here."

"Alright, let's keep moving," the Captain said, handing a Carbine to Shara. "You'll need that. Not sure why you showed up unarmed…"

As they entered a clearing, they all heard what sounded like thunder. "Great...rain", the Corporal grumbled.

Garek saw the Captain visibly pale as he looked through his binoculars. "That was _not_ thunder, Corporal..."

"Truth," Garek snarled, seeing the Forerunner dreadnought appear above the tree tops.

"Wait...there's something falling away from the ship," the Captain said.

_"That's the Chief, Captain. Gather at that site, ASAP. No doubt every Covi bastard in the area is watchin'." _

"You heard the man, go," he ordered as he began running toward the smoke.

"Who is this 'Chief' that human was talking about?" Shara said as they ran through the jungle; it was more of a jog for the Sangheili.

"You're an Elite, and you don't know who the Master Chief is?" Maloy asked incredulously. "Where have you been?"

"Don't start, Maloy," the Captain sighed. "What he _meant_ to say was, the Master Chief, a Spartan."

Shara looked at Garek, who nodded. "Yes Shara, you get to meet _the_ Demon."

Garek slowed as she came to an abrupt halt. "I have already met him once," she mumbled. The humans all stopped and looked at her. "I was on High Charity when..._he_ arrived. That bastard killed my younger brother."

"Captain, give us a moment?" Garek said. "We won't be far behind."

The Captain nodded once and started off again. "Just don't take too long," he said over his shoulder.

"Shara," Garek began as she sat against a tree.

"Save it," she said bitterly. "I lost my brother, and for what?"

Garek sighed and sat next to her. "How did it happen?"

Shara stared off into nothingness before speaking suddenly. "He had just graduated from Academy when the fighting broke out. We had been hiding for quite a while before the gunfire became distant." She paused and sighed sadly. "He told me to wait before rounding a corner," she trailed off, shaking her head.

"I understand," he said quietly.

"Do you?" she spat as Garek doffed his helmet and looked at her.

"Yes. I do," he replied sharply. "Do you honestly think you're the only one who has lost someone? I have watched good friends die. I even had to watch my own brother slowly get crushed by one of their tanks on Reach. His screams still haunt my mind," he finished quietly, barely above a whisper. Shara saw a hint of rage in his eyes before he stood. "Come on, the others are waiting."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Local Time: 08:03 Hours<strong>_

"His armor's locked up. Gel layer could've taken most of the impact," Garek heard Maloy explain as he approached.

The Captain walked over to him as Shara sat on a log away from the humans. "Will she be all right?" he said as Garek looked over at her.

"She'll be fine," he assured and went to join her. Garek tried to talk with her, but she just sat there.

"I don't know, Sergeant Major," Maloy continued.

The one they had called Johnson sighed as he removed an empty storage unit from the Spartan's helmet. "Radio for VTOL, heavy lift gear, we're not leaving him here."

"Yeah, you're not", the Spartan suddenly said, grabbing Johnson's wrist.

"Crazy fool," Johnson huffed. Why do you _always_ jump? Someday, you're gonna land on somethin' as stubborn as you are! And I don't do bits and pieces. So, where is she Chief? Where's Cortana?"

"She stayed behind," he replied, placing the chip in his helmet.

"Maloy, make it quick," Johnson barked.

"Sorry sir," Maloy said. "Chief, your armor is still in partial lockdown."

Garek frowned as the scent of another Sangheili entered the area. He turned around sharply as he heard Johnson shout, "Chief, wait! The Arbiter's with us!" Garek forced Shara's Carbine away from the Chief's direction as Johnson continued, "Come on, now. We've got enough to worry about without you two tryin' to kill each other!"

The Arbiter snapped his mandibles indifferently after the pistol dropped. "Were it so easy," he said. He nodded once to Garek and Shara upon seeing them. "We must go, the Brutes have our scent."

"Then they must love the smell of hero," Johnson chuckled, handing the Chief a MA5B. Garek did a quick check over his equipment before standing. "Captain, let's go," Johnson called.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Sergeant Major," the Captain said, nodding in Shara's direction. "We'll watch your flank."

"Be careful out there. Covi's all over this region," Johnson said, turning to leave.

"Maloy, map," the Captain ordered.

"I'm way ahead of you, sir."

Looking over the map, Garek noticed a few splotches of red. "Alright, we've got an enemy concentration, here…and here," the Captain said, marking waypoints on their HUDs. "Looks like there's a scouting party heading toward us from the East, so let's get rid of them and move up on their flanks." Everyone double checked their equipment before heading out. "Leave some gifts for our guests in case we miss them, Corporal."

"Yes sir," Trombley said enthusiastically. After fifteen minutes of patrolling, "Where are these bastards?"

"Patience, Corporal. Maloy, scanner?" the Captain said.

"Shit," Maloy groaned. "Radar is being jammed, now what?"

"Uh, Isaac, see if you can't find some higher ground," the Captain ordered. Garek nodded and ran off, again ignoring the mispronunciation.

"I am in position," he said after climbing a large boulder within a clearing.

_"And?" _

"I don't see anything for four-hundred meters to our front."

He heard a sigh through his helmet speakers. _"Alright, get back over here. I think they got around us." _An explosion echoed through the trees behind them. _"Definitely got around us." _After Garek regrouped with them, "Spread out, let's go."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Local Time: 08:27 hours<strong>_

_"Johnson, be advised. Hostiles are on the move; I've got on eyes on a Brute pack on their way to you. Over," _Maloy said over the comm. Hearing this, the group quickly caught up with him.

_"Say...ian, Maloy? You...aking..."_

"Shit. Captain, looks like we're on our own," he said as the comm went dead.

The Captain chuckled dryly. "That's fine, Maloy. It wouldn't be the first time. Let's see if we can't find the others," he finished after a minute.

"Wait," Garek said, lowering his rifle. "Look to the ridge, 150 meters," he pointed. The Captain nodded, seeing the Jackals. Garek raised his rifle again, saying, "Go ahead, they won't see you."

"Where'd the Staff Sergeant go?" Trombley said.

Taking a quick head count, the Captain shook his head. "Every goddamn time," he muttered. "Isaac, make short work of those snipers, then I want you to take their perch." Garek nodded once, not looking away from his scope, and fired. The first Jackal fell, and his partner, a spotter Garek guessed, quickly looked around, surprised.

_"Stupid Kig-Yar,"_ he thought and smirked as the other fell dead. After checking the area for more snipers and taking his position on the ridge, Garek noticed a Brute shouting at a log. "Wait," he said to himself and peered through his scope. "Captain, I believe I've found your Staff Sergeant," he whispered over the team's comm channel.

_"Where is he?"_

"You don't want to know."

_"Where?"_

Garek sighed, hearing the Captain's impatient tone. "Captured, but don't worry. I will deal with it," he replied coolly. Before the Brute could even lay a hand on Maloy, he fired, creating a clean hole in its skull. "Bastard," he mumbled as clipped the rifle to his back and climbed down the ridge. As soon as he rejoined the squad, they heard weapons' discharge where the Brute had just fallen.

"I wonder who that could be," the Captain thought aloud. He signaled for them to go around the rock wall, finding the Master Chief and Arbiter. "Need a hand, Chief?" After the Chief nodded, the Captain turned to Maloy, "You all right?"

"Just peachy, Captain," he replied sarcastically as he applied pressure to his left arm. "Got winged by a damn Jackal..." The Captain crossed his arms and glared. "I'm fine, sir. I've had worse."

"I don't care. Specialist." Shara nodded and immediately saw the wound on his arm.

She shook her head as she applied a field dressing. "Try to be a little more careful in the future, hmm?" she said half-jokingly, receiving a cold stare in response. After she finished, the Arbiter stepped forward.

"Who might you two be, exactly?" he said in their native tongue.

"I am Major Domo Garek 'Izak and that is Specialist Shara 'Hesum, Excellency," Garek answered with his head bowed respectively.

"What are you doing here, 'Izak? What ship are you now associated with?" the Arbiter said as they continued walking toward the LZ.

"The _Shadow of Intent_, under direct orders from the Shipmaster to assist the Captain over there. I'm not sure why we were picked specifically, Excellency," Garek stated while scanning the jungle for enemy activity.

The Arbiter hummed in recognition of the ship's name. "If Rtas 'Vadum sent you, I am sure there was a good reason for it. He is not one to misuse the soldiers under his command," he assured, to which Garek nodded. _"That may be true, but I am sensing something more to this,"_ Garek thought to himself. As he tried to figure out what that something could be, he heard the Arbiter say, "To the river, hurry!" As they ran down to the riverbank, the Chief paused at the bottom.

"You okay, Chief?" Captain Fulmer said, nodding to Maloy after receiving no answer.

"Your vitals just read KIA," Maloy said, looking at his laptop. The Chief quickly shook his head and continued.

_"Chief, Pelicans are at the river. We've got company, so hustle up."_

"Use your grenades! Blow them to bits," the Arbiter shouted.

The Captain nodded to Trombley, who swapped to his M319 GL and quickly laid waste to a pack of Grunts. "Corporal, keep up the pressure! Maloy, cover him! Isaac, I need you on that ridge," Paul shouted over the gunfire. Garek nodded and jumped at one wall, rebounded to the other side's ledge, and climbed to the top. "Damn," he muttered. "Specialist, you're with me! Let's move!"

After they had cleared out the enemy forces, Garek said over the comm, "Be careful, pilots. Banshees are coming in, fast!"

_"Shit! Break off - now!" _But it was too late as one of the Banshees hit the closest Pelican with its Fuel Rod Cannon.

_"Watch yourself!"_

_"I'm hit! ARGH!"_

_"Lost a thruster, hang on!"_

_"Get a hold of her," _Johnson shouted over the carnage.

_"Negative! We're going down!"_

Garek heard the Captain sigh over comms as he watched both Pelicans crash upriver. "We should get back into the tree line. Those Banshees will no doubt come back," he called, signaling for everyone to regroup.

"The gulley ahead is clear," Garek stated when he joined the group, to which the Captain nodded.

_"Chief, can you hear me? My bird's down, about half a klick downriver from your position." _The group ran through the gulley to assist, only to see three Marines sprint across a bridge. "Come on, you dumb apes! You want breakfast? You gotta catch it," Johnson shouted to a couple of pursuing Brutes.

After clearing out the Covenant troops that had covered the pursuers, Garek examined the crash site. "No other survivors," he said as he quickly checked over his equipment. He noticed that the charge on his beam rifle was at zero percent and sighed. "I am out."

"Here," Captain Fulmer said, holding out a SRS99D-AM rifle. Garek looked at it with disdain, then at the human with his head tilted. The Captain sighed. "It's either that, or keep the empty rifle. Most of the energy weapons around here are either empty or dangerously low on power." He looked at a device on his wrist. "Plus, we don't have the time to look." Garek shook his head as he hefted the rifle, checking its sights and ammo.

Upon reaching a ledge overlooking a dam, the Arbiter pointed. "See how they bait their trap?" They all watched as a Chieftain roared at Johnson, who punched the Brute in reply. "I will help you spring it," he said to the Chief. The Brute then growled at Johnson and kicked him into the make-shift prison, unaffected by the punch.

"Isaac, you know what to do; the rest, on me," Captain Fulmer ordered. The Chief and Arbiter fought their way across the dam as the others provided cover. "Corporal! Concentrate on the Brute with the hammer," Captain Fulmer shouted upon seeing the Brute Chieftain appear at the other end of the dam.

"Way ahead of you, sir," he replied as he fired his M319, but the Brute dropped dead before the 40MM round could impact. "What the hell?"

"Target down,"they heard Garek say over their helmet speakers, the smirk evident in his voice. "Spartan, Arbiter, beware; snipers in the power plant's windows." Not having a clear shot, he decided to pin them down behind some support beams. Upon seeing this, the Captain aimed at one of the snipers with his DMR.

After two of them were down, a third noticed the Captain and fired. "Shit," he exclaimed as the round hit his helmet, knocking it off. The sound of a .50 caliber rifle being fired suddenly filled the air, and all fell silent.

"Area clear," Garek reported. "Captain, do you want me to regroup?"

_"Negative, stay there; something doesn't feel right." _

Garek snorted, thinking of the trend he'd been noticing as of late. After making sure he had a full magazine, Garek shifted positions to get a better view of the dam.

"Romeo Eight-Five, what's your ETA?" Johnson said over the comm after being set free.

_"Imminent, Sergeant; find some cover, gotta clear a path."_

"Roger that, Eight-Five; friendly gunship, comin' in hot," he shouted to the two surviving Marines.

As Garek scanned the horizon, he spotted two familiar silhouettes on approach. "Beware pilot, Phantoms!"

_"I see 'em! Standby__…__goin' loud. Everybody get down!"_ As the first Phantom was destroyed by the incoming Pelican, Garek focused on the second, waiting for the doors to expose the troops inside. _"Scratch one Phantom!"_

Garek quickly got rid of any Brutes that exited the drop ship, while the others mopped up the rest.

_"Regroup. We're done here."_

"Copy that," he said as he ran down the hill to extraction. When he neared the Pelican, he noticed Shara limping slightly. "Shara, are you all right?"

"I am fine," she grunted. "It's just a flesh wound." She pulled off her helmet to examine the wound more closely and hissed as she removed the slug from her leg. "Bastards," she muttered.

The Captain chuckled as she dressed the wound. "They're not too bright, are they?" he said, to which she nodded. "What will you do now?"

"We were hoping to come along," Garek said.

"Glad to have the extra help. We'll have to get you two more acquainted with human weaponry at the Crow's Nest," he said. "We seem to be running short on energy weapons." The two nodded in understanding; they didn't like it, but it had to be done.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Location: The Crow's Nest, approximately 12 miles west of the city of Voi.<strong>_

_**Local Time: 08:57 hours**_

_"IFF confirmed; Pelican drop ship is Romeo Eight-Five, over."_

_"Roger that. What's the word, Eight-Five?"_

_"Sierra-117 is on board, requesting priority clearance, over."_

_"Deck's yours. Come on down."_

"It's good to be home," Captain Fulmer sighed as he put on his field cap. "Fourth squad, you're with me. Let's restock and rearm. And show our new friends here the ropes." Garek and Shara glanced at each other and shrugged. They ignored the stares they received from several Marines as they followed the Captain to the armory.

They knew that this was only the beginning...


	3. Chapter 2: Black Bird

_Chapter II: Black Bird_

_**Location: City of Voi**_

_**Date: Thursday, November 27, 2552**_

_**Local Time: 13: 53 hours; approximately 15 minutes prior to official engagement...**_

"I smell blood," Garek whispered as they stalked through the empty streets, trying to cause disarray among the Covenant's ranks.

Captain Fulmer looked at him incredulously. "We all smell it. It reeks around here."

Garek shook his head. "It doesn't belong to any Human or Covenant forces. No, this is Sangheili blood," Garek said, trying to pinpoint the source of the scent.

_"I have a trail, sir. Leading into the apartments at the end of the street," _Maloy said over a secure comm channel. _"It's dry, though. Best I can tell it's been about an hour, hour and a half."_

"Copy that, Maloy. Good eye," the Captain replied. "Any Covies nearby?"

_"Negative." _

The Captain looked over at Garek, who shook his head, confirming the report. "Alright, get inside, clear the first floor," he ordered.

_"Clear an empty room? You got it."_

Captain Fulmer chuckled. "Smart ass," he mumbled. "Let's hustle. We don't have much time."

As they moved down the deserted street, Garek spotted a Needle Rifle lying on the ground. "A Type 31?" he thought aloud. He went over to inspect it and noticed several familiar notches along the rifle's handle. "Captain, I know who we're looking for," he said, revealing the rifle. The human tilted his head, so he continued. "I only know of one Sangheili who would use this rifle by choice."

_"Captain, get the Specialist in here, now!"_

The Captain was about to tell her to go, but Shara had already sprinted to the apartment complex after hearing her rank on the comm. "Which room?" she said as she got to the buildings door.

_"Uh... It's apartment 206, on the third floor. Hurry! It's a mess in here..."_

She hopped each flight of stairs, literally, and quickly found the right room. What she saw through the doorway made her gasp in shock.

_**Location: The Crow's Nest, 3 hours earlier...**_

Garek cracked a rare smile as he watched Shara make her way through what the Captain had called "The Murder House", a training course used to teach soldiers basic room-clearing techniques. He was so caught up in observing her skill...no, _natural talent_, he didn't notice two Sangheili enter the armory until the one clad in Claret-colored Assault gear cleared his throat. "Major Domo 'Izak?" he said as Garek looked up at him. After receiving a simple nod, the soldier continued, "I am Usze 'Taham and this is N'tho 'Sroam. We are here to give you your new orders." Garek went back to cleaning his newly acquired M6D PDW. "You have been requested to return to the _Shadow of Intent _for a debriefing."

Garek sighed and put down the handgun. "I know, and I can't do that. The Shipmaster understands," he replied. When they remained, he continued, "I've already spoken with Rtas, and he told me-"

"This order did not come from the Shipmaster," Usze cut him off. Garek snapped his mandibles in annoyance, but waited for him to continue. "The order came from Nazo 'Bezat."

Garek shook his head and finished cleaning the firearm, inserted a magazine, and racked the slide. "Tell him that I am needed more here and that I have orders to infiltrate Voi with the human Captain that I was sent to assist," he said coolly as he holstered the firearm and began checking all of his magazines. As he slung a SRS99D rifle over his shoulder, he said, "Now, if you will excuse me, there's a war raging out there that I would like to be a part of." Before either of the soldiers could say anything otherwise, he said, "And if he doesn't like it, you tell him that he can go to Hell. I will leave this planet when I am either dead or actually _needed_ elsewhere." With that, he grabbed his helmet and exited the armory.

"What did they want?" the Captain said as he joined the group. Noticing the slight scowl on his face, he asked, "Something wrong?"

"No. They had orders for the Specialist and myself to return for a debrief and-"

"You basically told them to piss off," the human finished.

"Not how I would have said it, but yes. That is essentially what I told them," Garek said with a shrug.

Captain Fulmer shook his head, "Alright Specialist, take your pick of gear from the armory. And make it quick, we leave in fifteen," he called as she ran over to gather her equipment.

After returning with a M90 shotgun and a M6D pistol, she said, "Captain, please. Just call me Shara."

"I'll work on that," he curtly replied. "Alright, we're heading into the nearby town of Voi to see what the Covenant is up to. Also, we've been tasked to take out any HVTs if we come across them; officers, squad leaders, chieftains, whatever. I'll leave that to you," he finished, gesturing to Garek.

He nodded and then said, "What's an HVT?"

The human sighed. "An HVT is a High Value Target, hence why you're on the lookout for anyone high up in the ranks. Are we ready to go?" he finished, getting an affirmative from all four. "Alright, let's mount up, gentlemen, ma'am." Shara shook her head and took a seat.

_**Location: The present, 10 minutes prior to official engagement...**_

"Rotje, stay _still_," Shara reprimanded the wounded Minor. _"_If you keep moving, you'll just make things worse."

Rotje scoffed. "I've had much worse than this. You don't fight with mobile infantry and not get some scars along the way." He hissed when she roughly yanked a Spiker round from his shoulder. "Damn it, that hurt!"

"If you would be quiet and stop squirming, maybe it would be less painful," she quipped. "You're lucky, Rotje. A few inches down and to your left, this would have punctured one of your hearts. And that would have beensuch a shame," she finished sarcastically.

Rotje sighed. "Are you done?"

"Yes, but don't try to move just yet," she said when he tried to stand.

"Is he stable?" the Captain as he walked through the door. After receiving a nod in the affirmative, "Alright, let's go."

"I didn't say he was ready to move, Captain."

Rotje snorted. "I am _fine_. I am not some helpless cripple that needs to-" he began to say, but yelped as he tried to stand.

"You were saying?" Shaking her head, "How far do we need to go?"

"Just to the top floor to regroup with the others and set up an Overwatch Point," Captain Fulmer replied. "This building still has auxiliary power, so the elevators should still work."

She nodded as she helped Rotje to his feet and supported his left side, the latter kicking a dead Brute in the head as they passed. After reaching the eighth floor, she led him over to a large couch and gently set him down on it. "Now, get some rest. We're going to be here for a while," she ordered.

"Yes, _Excellency_," he grunted.

She shook her head as she walked away. "What's going on out there, Captain?"

"Not much. Yet," he sighed. "Major, you have eyes on anything?"

_"Negative. I am going to move to a different apartment. It looks like I should get a better view from the end of the hall."_

"Copy that. No need to call targets; you see someone you think is valuable, take them out." After looking up from the map, he noticed Maloy standing on the other side of the table, looking troubled. "What's the matter? You look as if the Devil himself was just on your doorstep."

Glancing at Shara off to the side, he said, "Captain, I need to talk to you..._in private. _It's important."

"If it's important, I'm sure you can say it right here," Captain Fulmer said, quickly getting agitated.

Maloy shook his head slowly. "You don't understand, sir. This ain't for prying ears," and after being told otherwise a second time, he switched to German, thinking that Shara's translator wouldn't have it on file. "With all due respect, sir, are you _absolutely_ sure we should trust these...these _split-jawed freaks?_"

As Shara gaped in shock and anger, the Captain's only answer was placing an object she didn't recognize on the table; she saw recognition spark in Maloy's eyes, however. "_Freaks_, Richard? And I suppose we're _completely_ normal to them," the Captain replied with angry sarcasm. Lifting the antique .357 revolver, a Colt Python, he continued in English, "Are you going to be a problem? Just another one added to an ever-growing list? Problems keep me from getting my job done, and you _damn well_ know how I deal with problems like that..." Maloy shook his head quickly and walked away. Sighing heavily, Captain Fulmer resumed looking at the map, monitoring troop movements.

"Freaks," Shara repeated quietly.

The Captain looked up from the table. "You caught that, huh?" She nodded slowly. "Do you, at the very least, understand his anger?" he said, receiving another nod. "I don't. If you ask me, he's allowed himself to become blind by it; something that will keep us from doing what needs to be done here." The Captain was about to walk out to catch a break, when they heard a scoff from the couch nearby.

"He has already slowed us down," Rotje said. He grimaced as he sat up, but continued. "That last spike you pulled? That was not put there by a Brute, Shara."

"I...don't understand," she said.

He grunted. "Do I really need to explain? Who was it who found me, hmm?"

The Captain's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. "Maloy, get your ass back in here. _Now_," he said coldly into his comm unit. Apparently, there was some sort of complaining on the other end, as he continued, "Do _not_ make me hunt you down, Maloy. Get back to the OP. _Now._" Upon returning, Maloy watched as his Captain handed the revolver to Shara, briefly explaining how it worked. "Take him out in the street, leave his body in a place the Covenant will find it. I'll accompany you. Corporal, keep an eye on that map and on the fields out there, in case something's off." He sighed. "You know I don't tolerate treason, Maloy. Not. One. Bit."

"This may not be such a good idea, Captain," Garek said as he entered the room. "While I agree that this was unforgiveable, it would leave us even more short-handed. I suggest that we put this off until another time." The Captain hesitantly nodded and took his sidearm back. After thinking for a moment, he said, "You said something about rope before?"

"What? Oh, that," the Captain mumbled. "It's a figure of speech, meaning to show someone the basics of something. But what does that have to do with..." Then it hit him. "Corporal, do you have any rope?"

"No sir. Closest thing I got is my Det Cord and some duct tape."

"Give me that tape. Better make yourself comfortable, Maloy. _Real _quick," he said. "Remove your gear and put your hands on your head." He motioned for Shara to keep her M90 on him while he secured Maloy's hands, continuing as he did. "Don't think for a _minute _that anything will get you out of this. If we're compromised, your ass gets left behind." After having Maloy taken from the room, he tossed Shara a small tube. "Give that to the injured one."

"Morphine?" she said as she examined the tube.

"It's a painkiller. It should help him rest," he replied.

"I don't need your drugs. I am capable of resting without them," Rotje said.

"You haven't closed your eyes since we got up here." He looked at Shara, "Give it to him." Rotje was about to protest again, but the human cut him off. "Save your bullshit for some other time. You'll thank me later."

"If you say so…Shara, see if you can find some blankets, please. I'm freezing," Rotje said quietly.

She nodded and retrieved a couple of heavy blankets from the apartment's bedroom. She walked over to the Captain and whispered, "We need to get out of here soon. If we stay much longer, he will go into shock." She explained that the spike may have opened an artery and that he may be slowly bleeding out.

"How long do you think we have?"

"I am not sure. I hope I am wrong," she sighed. "But, I've been working in this field long enough to trust my instincts." She looked over at Rotje and noticed him shivering, even under the blankets and his bodysuit's temperature control settings. "We may have to cut this short. I suggest we get ready to move now and call for an extraction."

Captain Fulmer nodded. "Try to get in contact with your ship Major, we're closing up shop. Get him ready to travel, Specialist." He turned on his comm and said, "I don't have much time here, Thor. Is the hammer ready to fall?"

_"Affirmative, Captain. Hammer is poised and waiting for your order."_

"Drop it on their heads. Coordinates have already been sent."

_"Received, firing for effect."_

Captain Fulmer watched as the artillery rained down on a Covenant armored formation of ten Wraith tanks, fifteen Prowler IFVs, and over one-hundred ground troops. "Good effect on targets, Thor; standby for any other fire missions. Delta Six-One Actual out." Switching off the comm, he turned to the group. "Alright folks, you know what to do. And, leave no signs that we were here."

"Thank you, Shipmaster," Garek said from the roof, deactivating his comm. "A Phantom is on the way, Captain. Five minutes until arrival...be advised, Covenant patrol three blocks away."

_"How many?"_

"It's one Captain with a pack of Grunts to the southeast."

_"Standby, wait for us to get to the roof."_

"Copy that, standing by."

After reaching the roof and marking it for the Phantom, the Captain sidled up next to Garek. Looking through the custom 5x scope on his DMR, he said, "You take care of the big bastard, I have the short ones. On my mark." Aiming for one's methane tank, he whispered, "Mark." Garek's shot caught the Brute in the throat, while Paul's hit the tank of a Grunt in red armor, causing it to explode on impact. Garek looked at him as he smirked. "Incendiary rounds, got to love them." After killing two others, Garek motioned to the last, who was cowering in the street. "Cover me, I'll go get him. Might be useful."

"Two minutes," came the reply. He noticed Shara next to him looking to the horizon and surrounding windows through a pair of binoculars. "How is Rotje holding up?" he said without looking away from his scope. She spared a glance and noticed that he was asleep.

"I think he'll be fine. That morphine put him to sleep rather quickly. I don't know why the Captain would want to question an Unggoy, though. It would be a waste of time, I think."

"Do not underestimate them, Shara. The majority of them may lack intelligence and cower easily, but there are a _few_ who are different. Who knows? It may join us," he finished jokingly, the answer to that being the loud report of a Colt Python.

"Maybe not," Shara mumbled.

_**Location: Shadow of Intent**_

_**Local Time: 14:29 hours**_

Rtas 'Vadum and Nazo 'Bezat, as well as a medical team and a couple of security officers, were waiting for the squad as they exited the transport. The Captain tilted his head toward Maloy and the security team led him away as the medical team helped get a sleeping Rotje on a stretcher.

The Shipmaster spoke first. "Will he be all right? And, where is 'Drakos?"

"I am not sure," Garek said simply.

"And what of the-" Rtas was about to ask, but Nazo cut in.

"Would you mind telling me why you disobeyed a direct order, Major?" he said angrily.

"I had other orders, sir."

"Other orders? From whom?"

"From the human Captain and myself," Rtas interjected. "The Major said he was needed on the ground, so I rescinded your order." Ignoring the Ultra's soft growl, he continued. "What of the Arbiter? I have heard...some things."

"He is assisting the De...I mean Spartan in stopping the bastard, Truth." Rtas was about to ask about the humans, but Garek said, "They had nowhere else to go, Shipmaster. It was either stay with them on the ground and lose Minor Domo 'Tsom, or have them come with us."

Rtas nodded, "And what of that human prisoner?"

"He tried to kill your...er, Minor in cold blood. I had him bound and charged with treason," the Captain said, stepping forward. "I'm Captain Fulmer."

Rtas hesitantly shook his hand. "Rtas 'Vadum, this is my ship, the _Shadow of Intent_. I heard you call yourself Rangers….you are special operations, then?"

"Eh, not exactly." Rtas tilted his head. "Ranger squads get some of the harder tasks it would take a whole company of Marines to do. B-Company's 4th squad is mine."

"I also heard that you had taken the time to interrogate an Unggoy. How did that go?"

"About as well as you would expect; more nervous babbling than information. However, I did get something useful."

"And that would be...what, exactly?" Nazo said incredulously.

"He did tell me that there was a Scarab on its way into Voi. I didn't have the time to engage it, unfortunately," the Captain said.

"Engage it? You wanted to attack a Scarab with just three of you, on foot?" Nazo snorted. "Are you stupid?"

"With all due respect, sir," Garek began, holding out an arm as the Captain took a step forward. "The Captain had artillery at his disposal. Those guns could have easily destroyed that Scarab," he said, Nazo blinking at his words. "I will _not_ stand by while a superior's methods and intelligence are insulted." He saw the Captain raise his eyebrows through the corner of his eye.

Rtas couldn't hide his smirk. "You are dismissed, 'Bezat. I will debrief the Captain's squad personally," he said. After the Ultra walked away, he sighed. "I apologize. I believe that he is still getting used to your kind and mine being allies." The human simply waved his hand dismissively.

"How come whenever someone always says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?" Corporal Trombley said as they walked to their debriefing. The group chuckled as they entered the Command Deck.

"Because, that's the _polite _way of handling the situation, Corporal," Captain Fulmer said.

Garek began the debriefing with how Rotje and Ar'n got separated from them. He absently explained his and Shara's human equipment, then moved on to how they found Rotje in Voi. He motioned for Shara to step forward.

"He had a dislocated joint in his left leg, several lacerations, and a couple of wounds in his torso from a Jiralhanae weapon; a Spiker, as the Captain called it. The worst was two inches from one of his hearts, so he got lucky. However, we will not know the full details until after they are finished with him in the medical wing," she explained.

"Go see what you can do. Captain, you said one of your men had betrayed you...one Staff Sergeant Maloy. How did he go about doing that?" Rtas said.

"That Spiker round she mentioned?" Rtas nodded. Captain Fulmer sighed, "That round was put there by my Staff Sergeant; he was alone at the time. The only reason I found out was from your Minor. I was going to have him executed, but the Major here intervened, stating that we needed the extra pair of hands if things got rough. I would have given him a second chance, but this _was_ his second chance; he's executed POWs in the past…in cold blood, no less." He sighed again, thinking. "I suggest we leave him in a cell until this is finished."

"Very well. What will you do now, Captain?" Rtas said.

"I need to get the coordinates of that Scarab to Thor, an artillery battery on the surface that was linked to my squad."

"That will not be necessary. Weapons," Rtas called.

"Ready," the weapons officer called form his station. The Captain walked over and gave the officer the coordinates.

"Do you have eyes on that Scarab?"

"Yes, Shipmaster."

"Get rid of it."

"Yes sir, firing." They all watched the view screen as the plasma torpedo sailed toward the Scarab and flew directly into its core; a perfect shot. The bridge flashed white briefly as the machine exploded. The Captain patted the officer on the back as there was a roar of approval from the crew. This, however, was short-lived as _another _Scarab lumbered onto the view screen.

"Two Scarabs," Rtas said, slightly surprised.

"Permission to engage, Shipmaster?"

"No. There are too many allied forces around the beast." Rtas sighed. "They are on their own for now. Captain, are there any other enemy positions you have to share?" Captain Fulmer nodded and guided the officer to several Covenant formations in and around Voi. "I just received word that Minor Domo 'Tsom was drugged prior to being brought back here. Is this the traitors doing?"

"No, that was me. I supplied the Specialist with a vial of morphine, a sedative. Without it, he wouldn't have rested and, according to her, wouldn't have made it."

Rtas nodded in understanding. "Risky choice to make, but it worked. She was correct; he did have a small tear in an artery where the round entered. He will be awake in a few hours."

The Captain nodded and said, "Where are the crew quarters? We're beat and could use some rest."

"No need, Shipmaster. I'll take care of it," Garek said as Rtas was about to speak. "Follow me."

"Welcome aboard. Be careful around the crew; I have no idea what some of their reactions to you may be," Rtas said over his shoulder as the group made their leave.

"Noted," the Captain said. "Thank you, Shipmaster." With that, Garek showed them to their bunks. As they rested, he went to get a meal and talked with Shara in the medical wing until Rotje woke up.

"What do you think of them?" Shara said from behind her desk; activity in the medical wing was low.

"I...had my doubts at first," Garek answered as he leaned back in his chair.

"Doubts?"

"About their character, I suppose. The Captain and Corporal seemed to take us being there rather well. Treated us almost as if we were-"

"Human," Shara finished. "I noticed that too, but I know that they don't trust us."

"Can you blame them? We've slaughtered their kind for decades, and for what? Some….relics and hope in a complete lie?" Garek said bitterly. "I wouldn't trust us, either."

"I never believed in the Journey," Shara said suddenly. "It sounded like….a bad story to me. What about you?"

Garek shrugged. "I was never very religious. Sure, I believe in the Gods, but I hardly ever prayed to them. Having to sit through those sermons was terrible." He looked over his shoulder when someone groaned.

"Sounds like Rotje is finally awake," Shara sighed. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Actually, I was about to leave and get some rest myself. I'll be back in a few hours."

"I will see you later, then," Shara said. "Rest well." She arrived at Rotje's bed, noticing a cold sweat on his head. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Water," he simply replied, his voice hoarse. She grabbed a cup on the bedside table and handed to him. "Thank you, mother," he mumbled.

"Are you feeling all right?" she repeated.

"No. Mother, I think I am becoming ill," Rotje said, his eyes closing.

"_He must be delirious," _she thought as he went back to sleep, continuing to mumble something about his mother. "Keep an eye on him, please," she told one of the other doctors. "I am going to go lie down."


	4. Chapter 3: The Gates Have Opened

_Chapter III: The Gates Have Opened..._

_**Location: Shadow of Intent, In Earth's orbit over the city of Voi**_

_**Date: Friday, November 28th, 2552**_

_**Local Time: 00:12 hours**_

Garek was speaking with Shara and Rotje in the medical wing when the ship's alarm began to sound. "_All hands to stations! All combat-ready personnel gear up and report to the loading bay for further instruction! I repeat, all hands to stations," _Rtas said over the ship's intercom.

Garek got up to go get prepared, but stopped Shara as she went to do the same. "Not this time," he said.

She clicked her mandibles in annoyance. "I can handle myself, Garek. Maybe I should just ask the Captain or Shipmaster if I can come along."

As if on cue, Captain Fulmer came through the door with his full gear, DMR shouldered loosely. "Major, your CO wants you to gather two others and report to the loading bay, ASAP. We need a fifth and, maybe, sixth for this."

"I am going," Shara said.

The human nodded. "Get your gear; I suggest you bring that M90 you took from the Nest," he said as she ran to get ready. "Who else?"

Garek thought for a moment. "We could link up with Field Marshall Tajo 'Szem; he's the commanding officer of I-company in the 349th, Mobile Infantry. He should be in the loading bay already."

"You know what to do. See you there," the Captain said and ran off. Garek left his SRS99D behind and took a M90 shotgun from a weapons crate that the Captain had had delivered to the ship shortly after they arrived. _"For an infantryman, he has a lot of connections." _Garek shrugged as he grabbed a couple of bandoliers carrying shotgun shells.

_**Location: Voi Quarantine Zone**_

_**Local Time: 00:30 hours**_

"What's the plan?" Tajo said as they approached their drop zone in a now flood-infested Voi. Captain Fulmer looked over the Phantom's cargo bay and nodded.

"Field Marshall, our objective is to find any survivors within the city, and get them out." He walked over to one of the vehicles they had picked up a few minutes ago, a prototype Warthog. "This will be the lead vehicle in our convoy. Any combat forms come near, we burn them," he said, indicating the M7057 flamethrower mounted on the vehicle's turret. They had two of these Warthogs, and a militarized HC1500. He looked back to Tajo and continued, "We can only take what will fit in the back of this truck. Wounded and civilians only."

"Wounded in a Flood infection zone?" Corporal Trombley said. "That seems highly unlikely..."

Captain Fulmer shrugged. "Orders are orders, Corporal. If you see any infected who haven't turned, just kill them." They all nodded, not having to be told twice. A violet light winked on inside the bay. "Get ready! Double check your equipment," he shouted as the doors lowered. The light switched to a light blue as the doors finished opening. "Go, go, go!"

After securing the DZ, Garek turned to the Corporal. "I suggest you leave something behind, in case we are followed. Shara, help him."

She was about to protest, but Trombley said, "Come on, ma'am. It's not very difficult, I'll show you." She nodded and began listening to him explain how to set mines and a basic trip wire.

_"Captain, status on the drop zone,"_ Tajo demanded over their comm channel.

"DZ is clear. It's dark, foggy, smells just _beautiful_, but no contacts." Garek sighed and shook his head at the Captain's report. "What?"

"You are many things, but funny is not one of them."

The human shrugged. "Eh, it was worth a shot," he said dismissively. "Vehicles are clear for deployment."

_"Unloading them now, keep your senses sharp." _After the vehicles were dropped and ready, _"Specialist 'Hesum, Captain Fulmer, you have the lead vehicle, while I take control of the transport with Major 'Truvor. Major 'Izak, I want you and the Corporal at the rear of the convoy." _Soon, they were moving through the city's residential area looking for any civilians or wounded soldiers.

After roughly twenty minutes the Captain said, "Most of the civilians were evacuated when the Covenant invaded New Mombasa. We may be wasting our time, Field Marshall."

"_We will search for a little while longer. There is bound to be _somebody_ left in this city." _Tajo then noticed blips on his radar._ "Contacts on the scanner, keep your eyes open."_

"I see them. They're tagged on my radar as yellow. Confirm?"

_"Acknowledged. Speed up, 'Hesum; scout ahead."_

After gaining some distance on the convoy, the Captain stopped Shara when he noticed a building that was pinged on his radar with yellow; friendly contacts. "Pull up to the curb, I'll check inside," he said, grabbing his DMR. "Be advised, I have friendly contacts in an apartment complex up the street. Permission to search the building?" he said into the comm.

_"Wait for us to arrive. It would not be wise to go in alone."_

He then noticed blood on the ground in a dragging pattern; both red and the deep purple of a Sangheili. "No time, they have wounded inside. There's blood on the ground...a _lot _of it. I'm going in." After finding that the door was locked, he took Shara's shotgun and destroyed the hinges. He followed the trail upstairs to the second floor, where he saw light peeking through a crack in one of the doors. He stopped outside and knocked, "Hello? I'm Captain Fulmer with the UNSC. I have orders to evacuate any survivors from the area."

"Enter," a weak voice answered. He slowly entered the dimly-lit room with his rifle raised, ready for anything. "Stop," the voice said, so he did and looked for its owner. "Why would the humans send someone after me?" it said. "And it was foolish of you to come alone with the parasite lurking about."

"No one gets left behind. And, I'm not alone. There's a convoy outside waiting to take people out of here. Where are you?"

_"Which room are they in?"_ Shara said over the comm.

"Uh, second floor, third door on the left," he replied. "Are you alone?"

The voice sighed. "I wish. The others are searching the building, and there is a wounded human in the bedroom. To answer your previous question, I am on the couch."

The Captain activated the flashlight on his rifle to get a better view of the room. When he saw the bloody Sangheili sitting there, eyes glazed and a pistol in hand, he froze. "Specialist, get up here on the double," he whispered, eyeing the pistol. "Relax, help's on the way. We're going to get you and the others out. What's your name?"

"Ar'n 'Drakos," he answered with a sigh. "Help? There is no helping me." With that, he racked the slide on the pistol and put it to his temple. When he pulled the trigger, there was no gun shot. "Bastards gave me an empty weapon? No matter," he muttered, tossing the pistol down and pulling out a knife, but the Captain knocked it from his hand.

"You _are_ getting out of here, _alive_," he said. "What would your CO say if he saw you like this?"

"I, personally, would call him an idiot," Garek said, stepping through the doorway after Shara. "There is more honor in receiving medical attention than in committing suicide, Ar'n. Remember what I taught you."

"It's not that," Ar'n mumbled. "I've been infected. Just shoot me."

Shara ignored his behavior and began patching up his wounds. "A few lacerations, broken wrist, two fractured ribs, and head trauma," she muttered absently. "You are delirious, Ar'n, not infected. Did the humans give you any kind of medication?"

"Yeah, a small vial. Why?" She looked over her shoulder and nodded.

"You're not infected. The morphine you took is messing with your head," the Captain explained. "Are you able to walk? And where's the other wounded person you told me about?"

Ar'n nodded his head toward the back of the apartment. "It's the second door on the right, human. He was in worse shape than me." The Captain went to look and quickly returned. Shara looked at him, but he just shook his head. "The others should be on the fourth floor. They have been gone for quite some time, though."

"Major, help him to the truck. Specialist, you're with me," the Captain ordered. "Field Marshall," he said over the comm.

_"Go ahead."_

"The Major is on his way with 'Drakos now. Specialist 'Hesum and I are searching the fourth floor for the others."

_"Copy that. Be careful."_

After reaching the fourth floor, Shara stopped the Captain. "Do you smell that?"

He nodded. "Lights off, switch to night vision if you have it," he whispered. As they advanced down the hall, the Captain heard a sound he had never wanted to hear a second time. He looked at Shara, but couldn't see her face through the visor on her helmet; her body language said it all, however. "We have hostiles in the building. Do we engage, or fall back?" the Captain whispered into his comm.

_"Come back outside. Don't take any chances." _Just then, the combat form rounded the corner and snarled at the two angrily. Tajo heard the screech outside in the street. _"Run! Get out of there!"_

The two leapt down the stairs after the Captain had primed a grenade and rolled it down the hall. They quickly exited the building and he manned the flamethrower on the Warthog. As soon as the combat form was visible, it vanished behind a wall of flame. "Let's get the hell out of here! I've got no more friendlies on my long range scanner," the Captain shouted over the combined engine noise and sudden howling of the Flood. "Corporal, get Thor on the radio!"

"Thor, this is Delta Six-One. Over," Trombley said into his comm.

_"Go ahead, Six-One."_

"Requesting fire mission on the given coordinates, over."

_"...Be advised, Six-One. You may be in the kill zone, over."_

"We have Flood on our ass! Just do it!"

_"Rodger that Six-One, rounds away."_

They all heard a second nerve racking howl over the sound of the distant guns firing. Just before the shells began to fall, combat forms poured out of the alleys between each building. "Drive, Specialist! Go, go, go," the Captain shouted over the explosions. They quickly turned around and approached a designated landing zone for pickup.

_"Passing target zone now," _Trombley said over the comm. The Captain clicked his mic once, giving him the go-ahead while focusing on the pursuing Flood. _"Bye-bye." _Just then, two tall apartment buildings exploded at their bases, causing them to topple on top of the horde. _"Surprise, you undead bastards!"_

Shara smirked as the Captain said, "Damn fine job, Corporal. How did you come up with that?"

_"Actually, sir...it was the Specialist's idea." _

The Captain shook his head. "Damn fine job, anyway. Hopefully that'll slow them down enough." After reaching the LZ, he told the Corporal to rig the vehicles. When he was asked why by Tajo, he said, "We don't have the time to bring them with us. As soon as the Flood tries to use these for anything, _boom!_"

_**Location: Medical Wing 3-A, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Ship Clock: 06:28 hours**_

"I can't believe you made it, Ar'n," Rotje said from his bed, the former saying nothing as he continued eating his meal. "Aren't you quiet this morning?"

"Just leave me be, Rotje," Ar'n said bitterly. "I don't want to talk about it."

Looking over at Garek, "What is his problem?" But Garek wasn't paying attention; he was too busy watching Shara as she went to each bed and checked the patients' status on data pads. Garek shook his head when Rotje snapped his fingers at him, "Are you all right, Garek? You've been staring off into space ever since you got in here."

"I am fine. What did you ask me?"

"I asked what his problem was," he said, pointing at Ar'n. "He refuses to talk about...well, anything. It's not like him."

Garek sighed and crossed him arms. "If he wants to be left alone, then leave him alone. He went through a lot down there, Rotje." His eyes returned to Shara, watching her work.

This time, Rotje took notice. "That is what you have been staring at all this time?" He laughed quietly. "Why not take a picture?" He then nudged his friend, "Or, maybe you should ask her to be your mate, eh?" He quit laughing when Garek punched him in the arm. "Oh, lighten up."

Garek sighed. "I would just be wasting my time."

Rotje snorted. "Is the mighty Garek 'Izak afraid of a doctor? _No, _a female?" he teased. He only laughed harder when Garek growled at him. He then whispered, "How long?"

"How long what?" Garek said, seemingly taken aback by the question.

Rotje only smirked and shook his head. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about, brother."

Garek sighed, giving in. "Since we left High Charity."

"Does she know?"

Garek shook his head. "I doubt it. And, as I said, I would be wasting my time."

"How do you know if you have yet to ask her? Surely you would feel better asking and being rejected than leaving it a mystery."

Garek sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. As much as he would hate to admit it, his friend was actually right. How could he know it would be a waste of time if he hadn't even talked to this woman about how he felt? "You're right, Rotje. For once," he said, sighing in defeat as Rotje rolled his eyes. "I _will _tell her...just not yet."

"Why not tell her now? She is right there," Rotje said.

"She is busy," Garek said as he got up to leave. "I should go; I have some assignments of my own."

"You _are_ afraid," he mumbled as Garek left the room.

"Afraid of what?" Shara said as she read Rotje's chart. The smirk he answered with made her ask a second time.

"Oh, nothing," he said casually. "I just learned of some...things from my good friend Garek."

"Oh? And what would that be?" she said curiously.

"I can't say. He said he wanted to tell you himself." When she was about to press further, he said, "Am I able to get out of this awful bed yet?"

"You should be cleared in a few hours, Rotje. If I find out you are lying to me, Minor, I _will_ confine you to that bed for a little longer," she said as she walked away, to which he sighed loudly. She returned to her duties with a small smirk, having overheard their conversation. She had suspected that Garek had feelings for her; she was just waiting for him to realize it himself. _"A waste of time, he says. Who was he trying to convince: Rotje, or himself?"_

_**Ship Clock: 19:47 hours**_

After a long day of running drills and doing his duties aboard the _Shadow of Intent_, Garek just wanted to lie down and rest. When he reached his quarters, he saw the Captain casually leaning against the wall next to his door. "What do you want?" he said impatiently.

"Calm down. Just wanted to pass along some information, and please, we're off-duty; just call me Paul."

"What kind of information do you have to share...Paul?" Garek said; the name felt strange on his tongue, but he showed no sign of it being so. "Garek, by the way," he said, remembering that the human didn't have his given name from before.

"Why didn't you correct me before?" Paul said. "Anyway, the Shipmaster just told me that we are going to be on one of the ground teams to attack the Ark control rooms," Paul said. "We have time off until then."

Garek smiled tiredly. "Tell the Shipmaster that I send my thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Paul nodded. "Yeah, I'll leave you alone. You look like you could sleep for a week."

"Ugh, I feel it. Have a good evening." After getting cleaned up, Garek laid on his bed. Just as he was about to close his eyes, the door chimed. He sighed and walked over to the door, finding Shara on the other side. "What do you need, Shara?"

"May I come in?" she said quietly.

"I was about to go to sleep, but...ah, what the hell? Come in." He lay back on his bed while she sat in a chair.

"Rotje said that you had something to tell me," she stated.

"Did he?" He sighed. "I do have a confession to make, Shara. Ever since we got off the Holy City together," he trailed off, finishing too quietly for her to hear. She tilted her head while he cleared his throat. _"Why must this be so difficult?" _he thought with a sigh. "I have often asked myself 'What do I fight for anymore? What purpose?' I think I know the answer to that now."

"And what is that answer?" she said, though she had a feeling that she knew what it was.

"Call it what you will, but," he trailed off again.

"But," she repeated, trying to get him to say it. He didn't continue, deciding to stare at the ceiling instead. "If you don't want to tell me, I understand... however, I _do_ know what you wanted to say."

Garek looked over with a brow raised. "Did you?" After she nodded slowly, "Well?"

"The feeling is mutual," she said with a smile.

He sat up and faced her. "It...It is?"

She nodded again. "I have a question, though."

"I am listening."

"Would you...like to see if our feelings are…?"

"True?" he finished. He sat still for a moment, but nodded, making room for her to lie down.

As she settled in, she asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" He returned the question. After she said yes, he licked the side of her face; a kiss.

_**Date: Saturday, November 29, 2552**_

_**Ship Clock: 07:10 hours**_

Garek smiled as he awoke, finding Shara still asleep next to him. _"Oh Gods, no," _Garek thought as someone quietly cleared their throat. His eyes snapped open and saw the Shipmaster standing at the foot of his bed with his hands folded behind his back. As he was about to speak, Rtas shook his head and gestured to a note on Garek's bedside table. As he silently walked out of the room, Garek reached over and read it.

_I do not know if the human Captain told you of your leave, so I am telling you in case he did not._

_You have been assigned to attack one of the control rooms and deactivate a shield around the installation's center; report to the command deck after you have had breakfast._

_P.S. I will tell no one of what I saw this morning, you have my word._

Garek sighed quietly and discarded the note; he would thank the Shipmaster later. _"But if he wrote a note, why did he wait for me to wake up? Surely he knew I would find it," _he thought, but shrugged. All of a sudden, an arm hugged his chest and someone whispered, "Good morning." He took the hand and nipped at it.

"Good morning," he said, facing her. "Sleep well?"

She nodded and licked his snout, but quickly pushed him away. "I have the shower first," she said playfully.

"Oh no, woman." He quickly picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. After showering, they went to breakfast, noticing that several eyes were on them upon entering the mess hall. He frowned at Sangheili that unsuccessfully tried to suppress snickers. He even saw the Captain smirk and nod when he looked over. _"Word spreads fast. It's almost as if they were...expecting this...Gods, am I really that easy to read?"_

"Like an open book," Shara mumbled slyly at his side. He sighed and took a seat next to her at the same table as Paul, Corporal Trombley, and Rotje; Paul couldn't keep the smirk off of his face.

"Was I really that obvious?" Garek quietly said to no one in particular.

"No comment," Paul said. Garek glared at him as he chuckled.

"I have one, however," Rotje said groggily. "In the future, could you two possibly keep it down? Remember that I am right across the hall from you." A couple of nearby Spec Ops soldiers laughed quietly as the two in question turned purple in the face. "Any louder, and the Brutes would have heard-" He grunted as Garek kicked his bad leg.

"How's the leg, _brother_?" he grumbled.

"Hey now, no need to get violent; he was just messing with you," Paul said.

Garek apologized, but Rotje waved his hand dismissively. "I am fine. I am just glad to _finally_ be out of that damn bed and back on my hooves." He paused and sighed. "Still have to stay on the ship, though. 'Doctor's orders'," he said, rolling his eyes.

"You're in no condition to fight, Rotje," Shara said matter-of-factly. She then smirked, "Now be a good soldier and finish your breakfast." When Rotje glared at her, she continued, "_Or_ you can go back to the medical wing and get reacquainted with that bed that you just seem to_ love_." He immediately turned to his tray and ate quietly, Paul hiding his snicker behind his mug of tea.

"This is the life," Trombley said thoughtfully after a few minutes of silence. After everyone turned to him, he continued. "I mean, what's not to like? We're flying through space, kicking Covenant ass, and making friends on the way."

Paul raised his mug, "Here-here."

Garek raised a brow. "Do you mean us?"

Both humans nodded. "Why not?" Paul said. "Sure, our history isn't the best, but things are different now." Garek brought up the point of genocide, but Paul snorted. "Is that what you call it? Bah! You thought we were weak, but here we are, still fighting…and now we're starting to win." He paused and took a drink of his tea. "Hell, if the Covenant hadn't come along, we would likely be fighting ourselves over some stupid thing…..like money."

"Your kind has fought over something as ridiculous as money?" Shara said.

Paul nodded. "Yeah, we are a greedy group of individuals. But that's not the worst thing we've fought over in the past. Entire wars started over something simple, like a difference in opinion." He sighed, "Enough of this depressing stuff. Let's enjoy the day, hmm?" He paused for a moment. "Stuck on a ship or not."

"They serve drinks on this tub?" Trombley asked after they had finished eating.

"Of course they do, you have one now," Rotje said, not understanding.

"No, no, no. I mean _drinks_, you know," Trombley returned. He then retrieved a shot glass from one of his pockets.

Garek sighed. "They start after the Second Cycle. I doubt you will be able to handle anything we have here, though; too strong."

"Who said anything about drinking your stuff?" Paul said. "And, when is the Second Cycle?"

"The hours between lunch and dinner," Garek answered. "Why?"

Paul and Alfred looked at each other and nodded. "Is there some kind of common room on this ship?" Paul said instead of answering outright. Shara told him that after dinner, the mess hall essentially became a place to gather for anyone with free time, to which Paul nodded. "How about we play cards? A little game of Poker," he suggested.

"We don't have anything to gamble with. Plus, the Shipmaster frowns upon it," Garek said.

"Don't worry about it. You don't actually need money to play," Paul said. "Just come by here after dinner and I'll explain everything."

_**Ship Clock: 20:41 hours**_

Everyone at the table groaned as Shara showed her cards, winning yet another hand. "I like this game. You boys are lucky that we're only playing for fun," she smirked as she collected the blank chips and sorted them into her ever-growing stacks. Paul sighed and poured some whiskey into a small glass, while Garek eyed the amber liquid curiously. Noticing this, he took another glass, larger than his own, filled it, and passed it to the Sangheili.

He took a whiff of the drink and reared his head back. "Ugh! How can you drink this? It _reeks_."

"It's not about the smell, it's the taste that counts," Paul chuckled. "It's alcohol, not perfume." Taking a drink, "Ah, nothing like a glass of two-hundred-year old whiskey to pass the time." Garek shrugged and hesistantly took a drink.

He sighed as the alcohol ran down his throat. "It's not as strong as anything we have, but it will do," he said. "Two-hundred years, you said?"

"Yeah, brewed right there in my home town in the 2340's." Paul raised his glass and said, "Oh Würzburg, wie ich Sie verfehle." Any Sangheili within earshot looked over at the group; most had their translators switched off.

"What?" Rotje said.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that," Paul said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I said 'Oh Würzburg, how I miss you'. That's where I grew up, you see?" The three nodded; they too missed their homes and families. As Paul was about to deal, Rtas entered the mess hall and looked around.

He quickly spotted the group and walked over. "What is this?" he said, eyeing the cards and plastic chips. "You three know how I feel about gambling on my ship."

The three in question lowered their heads slightly as Paul chuckled. "It's alright, Shipmaster. There's no money being traded at this table; strictly for fun. Would you like to join us? We were just about to start a new game."

Rtas eyed the cards for a moment and sat down. "I will just watch, thank you. I have no idea how to play. Where did you get that?" he said, smelling the whiskey.

"My CO gave it to me before we boarded. She figured I needed something to remind me of home while I came out here, so she gave me this old whiskey," Paul explained as he shuffled. "I could teach you Shipmaster, it's not difficult. Hell, the Specialist over there has been kicking our collective asses for the past few hands." Rtas shrugged and Paul explained the rules of the game and what a good or bad hand was. "Thirsty?" he said after he finished shuffling. Rtas shook his head as he looked at his cards. Soon, only Rtas and Shara had their cards on the table, the latter shaking her head in disappointment as the former smirked and revealed his hand, winning. "Not bad," Paul commented. He checked the time and said, "Well, I'm going to turn in." Everyone agreed and went their separate ways as Paul gathered the cards and chips. They all knew tomorrow was going to be a long day, perhaps even their last one alive. Paul shook his head quickly. _"No need to think like that. We'll make it...if we don't…eh, what the hell? It's been a good run."_

Their run was only just beginning...


	5. Chapter 4: The Death of a Phoenix

_Chapter IV: The Death of a Phoenix_

_**Location: Shadow of Intent**_

_**Date: Sunday, November 30, 2552 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Ship Clock: 14:45 hours**_

Shara paced around the loading bay, nervously waiting for the others to return while one of her friends from the medical wing leaned against the wall, watching her. "Pace anymore, and you'll fall through the deck, Shara," Deza 'Telam said wryly. Rotje, who was standing by her side, chuckled. Shara ignored them and kept pacing; she hadn't heard from the squad in a couple of hours, and couldn't reach them on their comm channel. She felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to pause. Deza led her over to a crate and pushed her onto it, "Sit."

"How are you not worried about them, Deza?" Shara said, Deza crossing her arms and giving her a look that said 'Are you serious?' in response. Shara sighed, took out her M6D pistol, and began twirling it on one of her fingers absently.

"That's not loaded, is it?" Deza said nervously; she _hated _human firearms. They were too messy, she thought.

"Always," Shara simply replied. She stopped twirling the handgun and pointed it at Deza, making firing sounds.

Rotje rolled his eyes as Deza huffed. "What are you, a child?" he said. "Are you sure you're sane?" Her reply was to rack the slide half-way, checking the chamber. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

"It's never a good idea to answer a crazy person's questions for them, Rotje. You may end up in a hospital bed," Deza joked. Shara sighed and put the weapon away. When she made for the exit, Deza asked where she was going.

"The Command Deck, surely _they_ know something," she said over her shoulder. Deza and Rotje looked at each other and then exited the bay as well; they did not, however, go with Shara.

"Do you think they will be all right?" Rotje said as they walked towards his room in the crew quarters.

Deza simply shook her striped head and looked at him with her orange-red eyes. "Not you too," she sighed. "Am I going to have to remedy that?"

She smirked when Rotje rolled his eyes. "Do you _have_ to play dirty?"

"You know you enjoy it."

_**Location: The Command Deck**_

_**Ship Clock: 15:00 hours**_

Rtas turned as Shara entered. Looking back at his view screen, he said, "What do you need, Specialist?"

"May I ask how things are going on the ground?"

Rtas nodded, knowing what she meant. "Things are going well, so far. Shield tower one has been disabled. The Captain and his team are just about to reach the second control room," he explained. "I'm glad that this is nearly over."

Noticing how tired he looked, "Shipmaster, you need to rest. You don't look well." When Rtas ignored her, she sent a message to Nazo. After he arrived, she asked him to at least keep an eye on Rtas, to which he nodded.

"We have some wounded that just came in. Go see if you can help them," Nazo whispered. She nodded and left. When she entered Medical Wing 3-A, she saw a familiar face on one of the beds. She quickly walked over, looked at the chart, and sighed quietly.

"What?" Tajo 'Szem asked weakly from the bed. "Have you never seen a wounded soldier before?"

"You're beyond wounded," she returned bluntly.

He sighed. "Get 'Tsom in here, I have something to tell him." She nodded and keyed Rotje's personal comm. When he didn't answer, she shook her head, knowing why. She sent him a text instead and marked it urgent so it would chime until opened. She scoffed quietly as he quickly strode past, catching an unmistakable scent.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Tajo smelled him too, and snorted. "By the Gods, boy. Here we are, at war, while you're up here enjoying yourself." He chuckled as Rotje blushed slightly. "Reminds me of someone else I know. Come closer, I have something important to tell you." Rotje leaned closer as Tajo whispered something into his ear. After he had finished, Rotje looked grim and nodded. Shara noticed he had a few tears running down his face and placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. Getting the message, she walked over to Tajo's chart and looked at it again. Noticing something, she retrieved Rotje's records and compared the two. She looked at Tajo, who just nodded silently.

She smiled sadly and said, "How bad is the pain?"

"Horrible," he admitted quietly. She nodded and retrieved some left over morphine from her personal kit, pulling the cap off of the small needle and looking at him. He closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Do it." After she had injected the painkiller, he whispered, "See you on the other side...my son." Soon after he fell asleep, his vitals flat lined. She sighed and marked the time on his chart, then called for someone to retrieve the body. Even after the body had been moved, Rotje still sat in the chair.

Shara sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder again, where it stayed. "Go get some rest," she whispered. He nodded and slowly left the room, head hung low. He had just been dealt a serious blow; he had never known his true father, but had at the same time. She sighed as she went about checking the other soldiers.

_**Location: The Ark Installation, outside of Control Room 2**_

_**Ship Clock: 15:27 hours**_

"Shipmaster, we've just disabled the second shield tower and are awaiting pick-up, over," Paul said as he leaned against a wall holding his left side; a Brute had gotten too close when he had to reload, so he went hand-to-hand with it. He killed the large alien, but not before taking a beating himself. "This is beginning to happen _far_ too often,"he mumbled.

_"I am sorry, Captain. All of our Phantoms are fully loaded at the moment, or have been destroyed," _Rtas replied. Paul sighed and shook his head. He was about to order the group to get moving, when a familiar Irishman came over the comm.

_"I'll get ya outta there, Cap'n," _Sean Bradley, B-Company's lead pilot, said over the comm.

Paul couldn't keep the grin from his face. "Eight-Five, you Irish bastard, when do you _not_ show up to save my ass?"

_"When you don't need it to be saved or I don't have a bird to fly, Cap'n."_

"You're all that's left?"

_"Aye, I'm afraid so. Let's get you folks outta there, shall we?"_

Shortly after the third shield tower went offline, Rtas came in over a wide-band comm channel. _"Now Prophet...your end has come." _A slipspace rupture suddenly appeared, revealing an infected mushroom-shaped ship. _"High Charity...? By the Gods! Brace for impact!"_

Garek froze when a piece of debris flew through the hull of the _Shadow of Intent_ as if it weren't even there. He whispered something in his native dialect; a prayer, Paul thought, but the translator he had been given didn't catch it. "You need to get your ass down here _now_, Eight-Five. The Flood is about to fall right on our heads," Paul shouted into the comm as debris started crashing around them.

_"I hear ya, Cap'n. Be there in less than fifteen."_

"Minutes?" Paul said incredulously.

_"No sir, seconds." _Just then, the Pelican flew over the cliff right behind them and landed a few feet away. _"Time's a-wastin', Cap'n. C'mon!" _The group wasted no time getting on the aircraft and once everyone was aboard, they took off right as the first infection and combat forms arrived. Paul noticed that Garek just stared at the floor, still wearing his helmet. He left the Sangheili alone to his fears, however; he had just received a text on his HUD from the very person Garek was worried about.

Garek finally took off his helmet and let it fall to the floor. His ashen skin was slightly pale and his eyes were glazed over. He stood, walked over to the open hatch of the Pelican, and wretched. Ar'n watched Garek and shook his head; he didn't understand what his friend was going through, nor did he want to. Garek stumbled back to his seat and sat heavily in it, head hung low. He noticed someone take a seat next to him, but ignored them.

Paul leaned in and quietly said, "She's fine, I just got a message from her. She'll in the loading bay waiting for us." Garek simply nodded and kept looking at the ground. Paul didn't know if the Sangheili had actually heard what was said, but he got up and went to the cockpit. "Get us back to the _Shadow of Intent_, Bradley. Our job here is done."

"No need to tell me twice, Cap'n," the Irishman replied. "I'm buyin', by the way."

Paul just shook his head and went back to sit with the others. As he passed, Garek motioned him over. "Canteen," he grunted, and Paul handed it over. He took a drink, spit it back out, and handed it back. Paul noticed his eyes were back to normal. "Thank you," he said quietly. Paul patted him on the shoulder and sat down next to Alfred, who was already asleep. "Captain, what was that creature you told us about?" he suddenly said.

"The Phoenix," Paul said after a moment. "Why do you ask?" Garek didn't answer, and Paul didn't repeat himself; he knew the Sangheili had heard him, but they were all tired. Soon, they were back on the _Shadow of Intent_, and Paul told Rtas they were aboard before getting off of the Pelican.

_"Copy that, Captain." _The Shipmaster then switched to an open comm channel. _"We are all aboard, Humans...and Elites. Will you not come with us, brother?"_

_"No. This is our fight. And I _will _see it finished," _the Arbiter replied. The group watched as the Pelican carried the Arbiter, Sgt. Major Johnson, and John-117 toward a new Halo ring.

Paul began limping away, but Shara stopped him. "Where are you going? Let me have a look at that."

Paul shook his head and pointed over his shoulder at the Pelican, with Garek still seated inside. "I think there's someone else you should see right about now," he whispered. "I was on my way to the medical wing, anyway; just a bruised rib or two." She nodded and let him go on his way. Alfred and Ar'n nodded to her as they passed on their way to the mess hall. She nodded back and entered the Pelican, finding Garek leaning his head against one of the aircraft's walls. She smiled when she saw that his eyes were closed; he had passed out from exhaustion. She went over and lightly kissed the top of his head.

He smiled, but kept his eyes closed, too tired to open them. "Hey there," he mumbled.

"Oh, hi," she whispered, gently running a claw along his mandibles. "Long day?"

He chuckled, still resting his head against the wall. "One of the longest," he said, finally opening his bright yellow-green eyes. "Now, help me out of this cramped thing?" She helped him up, put an arm over her shoulders, and guided him back to his quarters. Garek didn't care who saw him this way, he was just too tired. _"Hell, we are all tired."_ He was out again before his body even hit the bed.

_**Ship Clock: 18:30 hours**_

Garek awoke to find himself alone in his quarters with a note on the bedside table.

_ Everyone is in the mess hall, celebrating. _

_ Shara_

Noticing he still had his armor on, he sighed and began to remove it. After washing off all of the dirt, blood, and grime, he decided to wear his casual clothing, still being too tired to replace the armor. After entering the mess hall, he easily spotted his friends; they were sitting at a table with Nazo and Rtas. He shook his head when he saw Paul dealing cards to them, explaining the rules as he went.

"Hey! Look who finally crawled out of bed," Paul joked as he poured a glass of whiskey for himself. He gestured to the bottle, but Garek shook his head. Looking at the bottle, he noticed it was about empty, and then saw several glasses filled with the amber liquid at the table, including one in front of Shara.

"On second thought," he said and took the large bottle from Paul. The man just shrugged and reached under the table, retrieving anotherbottle of the stuff. "How much of that do you have?"

Paul chuckled. "This is the last one, I'm afraid. These four," he said, gesturing half-accusingly to Shara, Deza, Ar'n, and Rotje, "apparently can't get enough of the stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just shut up and keep pouring," Rotje slurred. Nazo shook his head and took a small drink from his glass while Rtas chuckled. "What? It's a celebration!"

"You've had enough," Deza said, taking his glass and downing its contents. Rotje grumbled and went back to his cards.

Paul reached into his pocket and retrieved a cigar and a small tin container, which turned out to be an ashtray. "You guys don't mind, do you?" he said to the Sangheili at the table, receiving shakes of the head and shrugs.

"Is that not bad for you, though?" Shara said as he lit it.

Paul shook his head and chuckled. "Not for me, no; plasma bolts, grenades, and knifes are bad for _my _health." Everyone chuckled as she and Deza shook their heads, but they smiled anyway. "Oh, and that may have been _my_ last bottle of drink, but not Bradley over there," he finished loudly. Sean looked up from another table, where some other humans and Sangheili were also drinking and playing a game of cards.

"Oi, be quiet, ya prick! That's vital information yer throwin' 'round," the Irishman called back.

Rtas shook his head and sighed. "Good thing my bridge crew has more restraint," he thought aloud. He then looked over and saw one of his communications officers with his head on the table, passed out. He sighed again, "Well…a few of them, at least."

Paul then remembered Garek's question from the Pelican ride back to the ship. "Hey, Garek?" he said. "Why did you ask me about the Phoenix again?"

Garek thought for a moment, then nodded; he had almost forgotten himself. "I was just thinking how that tale is similar to all of this."

"How so?" Alfred said, several nodding in agreement to the question.

"Well, this war ending was like the death of the Phoenix."

"But what rises from the ashes?" Paul said, as if a teacher were asking a student.

Garek smiled and answered. "Is it not obvious, Captain?" Paul shrugged, wanting the Sangheili to answer. "Life anew...after so many years, it's finally over."

Paul nodded approvingly and raised his glass in a toast. "What he said." Everyone lightly clinked their glasses together, several others nearby doing the same.

"What do you think, Captain?" Rotje said after a moment.

Paul shook his head. "You don't want to know what I think."

"Yes, Captain. I do."

Paul sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore. So much has changed over the past few days. Hell, over the past few years. The war may be over, but we're soldiers, all of us. What are wegoing to do now that our fight is done?" He paused and took a drink. "I'm sure we'll all be glad to see our families and homes again, but how long will _that _last?" Several of them seemed to consider this, but none had anything to say.

"So," Alfred drawled out. "How about we play some cards?"

_**Location: Memorial Hill, Earth**_

_**Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2553 **_

_**Local Time: 16:50 hours**_

The group stood quietly as Lord Hood gave his speech in honor of all those lost. "As we start to rebuild, this hill will remain barren, a memorial to fallen heroes. They emboldened all of us, and they shall not be forgotten." As Hood said this, Rotje took something from a pocket in his armor; an old picture of himself and Lt. Colonel Tajo 'Szem, his father, along with some of his friends from the 349th; most of them had passed away in the past few months. He looked to Paul, who nodded. After Lord Hood finished and shook the Arbiter's hand, Rotje made his way toward the monument. Several Marines watched with curiosity as he walked up to the broken Sabre wing and tacked the picture to it. Lord Hood leaned in and looked at it, then nodded.

After he had rejoined the group, the Arbiter motioned for the four Sangheili to follow, Garek shaking his head no in response. "Come Major, it is time to go." When the group remained, he sighed. "What is it?"

"We can't go just yet, Excellency." He then explained about the traitor, Richard Maloy. "We need to take care of him first."

"Where is this human?" the Arbiter said. Garek told him that he was still on the ship. The Arbiter shook his head, not understanding. "Then, what is keeping you here?"

"Indecision," Garek replied simply. The Arbiter tilted his head. "We can't decide whether to stay and help or to go home."

Paul sighed. "Oh, go on, Garek. You don't need to stay here. You have a home to return to, a family to start. I'll deal with Maloy." He started walking over to the Phantom nearby, the Arbiter leading the way. "You coming or not?" he called over his shoulder. Garek _did _want to go home, but he also wanted to stay behind and help the humans with their own planet.

Shara squeezed his hand, bringing him out of his thoughts. "We can always come back," she said, while Rotje and Deza nodded off to his side. He nodded as well, and they walked over to the Phantom. "Do you agree with what he said? That we have a family to start?" she whispered. He simply looked at her and smiled.

_**Location: Shadow of Intent**_

_**Local Time: 17:00 hours**_

Rtas tilted his head as Paul entered the bridge behind the Arbiter. "Is there something else I can help you with, Captain?" Paul nodded and then reminded him of Maloy. "Someone has already retrieved him," he said slowly.

"What? That's not possible. I had orders to come and get him myself...who was it?"

"A human female...I believe she said her name was Kirkendall," Rtas replied. "I did not like her. Something was out of place with her behavior."

Paul cursed under his breath. "It looks like Maloy's betrayal has made him some powerful friends. Shipmaster, that woman was Major Jennifer Kirkendall, my CO. She had always favored Maloy for his...violent tendencies when it came to prisoners, particularly Elites." Paul sighed. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. It looks like my war isn't finished just yet."

"It is no matter," Rtas said dismissively. "I am sure if anyone can find this traitor, it is you, Captain. It was an honor to have you aboard."

"It was an honor to be aboard," Paul said before exiting the Command Deck to find his new friends and his pilot outside. "Well, I guess this is good-bye."

Rotje tilted his head. "Where is that Maloy character?"

"Escaped," Paul sighed as Rotje growled slightly. "It seems he's made some new friends, as well; the powerful kind. Don't worry about it, if I find him, you'll be the first to know." Rotje nodded and shook Paul's hand, Garek doing the same afterward. Paul extended his hand to Shara, but she hugged him instead. "Not so tight," Paul winced.

"Sorry."

He shrugged and turned to Deza. "And what about you, Tiger?" he joked.

She sighed and hugged him. "I've told you not to call me that."

Paul chuckled. "I'll work on that, ma'am." She rolled her eyes; she didn't like being called ma'am, either. After a pause, "Well, this is it. Try not to get into too much trouble, Garek."

Garek laughed. "I'll try. Be safe out there and...good luck."

Paul smirked. "I don't need any luck Garek, I was _born_ lucky." They laughed, but Paul quickly got serious. "You too, and you as well Ro. Keep those women happy, you hear me?" he said cheerfully before walking away.

"I will," Garek and Rotje mumbled simultaneously.

"Going home at last," Deza thought aloud. The others nodded in agreement and went to the mess hall to "hang out", as Corporal Alfred Trombley had put it. They all sat at a table with Ar'n, who finally looked happy. "Well, aren't you looking cheerful this evening?"

Ar'n nodded quickly and put a few large bottles of amber liquid and two silver cases on the table. "That I am, Deza," he said, indicating the items. "Some parting gifts from the human Corporal."

"Alcohol and...what's in the cases?" Shara said. Ar'n smiled and opened the first, revealing two decks of playing cards and the blank poker chips. The group shook their heads and chuckled; they had come to love the simple human game. Along with the set was a data pad, which Shara read. "There are so many others we can play by simply using a deck of cards," she mused as she went through the list, which displayed the rules of each when she selected them.

Ar'n slid the second to Rotje. "That one is from the Captain."

Rotje opened the case and smirked, quickly closing it when Deza tried to look inside. "Just wait a moment," he told her. She sat back down as he reopened the case and pulled out its contents. It was a Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum within its holster, along with a box of ammunition. "He shouldn't have," Rotje said, looking over the custom made revolver; it had been resized to fit comfortably in his hands.

Deza didn't agree, however. "He _really_ shouldn't have," she sighed. "You're not going to be like Shara with that thing, are you?" His answer has to twirl the pistol on a finger while looking at her. He then lowered his hand, revolver still spinning, to the holster, where he placed the weapon.

"Of course I'm not. _I_ am not crazy," he teased.

Shara glared and placed her pistol on the table. "_Mine _is loaded."

Garek, sensing trouble, quickly grabbed the handgun, ejected the clip, and racked the slide, ejecting the chambered round. "And now it isn't," he said simply. She huffed and took the handgun back. "I know you weren't going to hurt him, but I don't like to take chances," he whispered, thinking for a moment afterwards. "We should go to the Armory, Rotje. Give that weapon a try." Rotje nodded, putting the weapon back in its case. Ar'n got up and followed them.

"Males," Shara and Deza said. Shara then got up to follow them. "Where are you going?" Deza said.

"The armory," Shara shrugged. Deza shook her head and followed reluctantly.

"Black Dragon," Shara said as she read the name engraved in the barrel of the revolver. Before they could ask what a dragon was, she explained. "A dragon is a mythical beast, commonly reptilian in appearance. My guess is that he had this weapon named so, based on Colt's habit of naming their Magnum handguns after snakes, another reptile. It's technically a new weapon in that line, so it needed a new name." She turned to the firing line, raised the pistol, and fired it with both hands, hitting the center of the target. Seeing the confused looks she received, "The Captain and I were idly talking about our beasts of legend, and he mentioned the dragon."

"Is there anything you do not excel in?" Nazo suddenly said from behind them.

Shara shrugged as she emptied the cylinder and put the weapon away. "Immodesty?"

"Indeed," he said with a chuckle. "I've come here to say that we will be arriving at Sangheilios in roughly nine hours. I suggest you all get some rest." With that, he left the armory, with several others taking heed and following.

"That does sound like a good idea," Rotje yawned. Everyone agreed and went to their quarters. "So, what are you two going to do once we arrive?" he said as they walked. Garek and Shara looked at each other and smiled.

"Well, I think _we_ are going to find a place in Tarasun while I'm on leave," Garek said, wrapping an arm around Shara's waist. "Start that family the Captain talked about. What about you two?"

"Well, about the same as you, really," Deza said. "Rotje wanted to meet my family, talk to them about...well, you know." They smiled and nuzzled. "I just hope father made it back...and that mother isn't angry with me."

"Why would she be angry with you?" Shara said, Deza simply patting her belly in response. "How can you be sure?"

"I just know," Deza shrugged. "You will too, Shara." They then reached their quarters and bid each other farewell.


	6. Chapter 5: For Old Times' Sake

_Chapter V: Just Like Old Times_

_**Location: City-State of Tarasun, Sangheilios**_

_**Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 13:42 hours**_

Shara sighed happily as she patted her stomach; she had a second child on the way. She had just finished thinking of what it had taken for her to be here, right now, enjoying her life. "Garek was right", she thought aloud. "All of this _was_ like the tale of the Phoenix." She looked at the clock and saw that it was a quarter until two in the afternoon, when a rather loud vehicle pulled into her driveway. Upon seeing an unfamiliar car, she quickly retrieved a pistol from her nightstand, an old M6D; she didn't know why she had kept it. She had just slipped in the magazine and racked the slide when there were three knocks on the door. Holding the pistol out of view, she opened the door slightly, but stopped when she saw a human male on the other side dressed in military fatigues; tan boots, digital woodland camo uniform with a matching camo boonie cap, and black-lensed sunglasses. "Can I help you?" she said cautiously. The man smiled and unfolded his arms from his back. She then noticed a flag on his right sleeve; 3 horizontal stripes, black on top, red in the middle, and gold on the bottom. "_Germany," _she thought. She looked at the patch on his left arm; a gold-trimmed gray shield with a small red bird in the center.

"Yes. Would you happen to know where the 'Izak residence is located?" the man said with a slight accent; his voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"This is the place," she said slowly. The man nodded and removed his sunglasses, revealing a scar on the left side of his face. "Do I know you from somewhere, human?"

The man chuckled quietly. "Come on, Specialist. You don't recognize me?" the man said. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Captain Fulmer? Excuse me for a moment," she said, and Paul nodded. She put the pistol away, and went back to the door. "Come in. What brings you here, Captain?" After both were seated in the common room, Paul removed his hat and sighed.

"Business, I'm afraid. Is your, er...husband home?"

"Mate," she corrected politely. "He should be home shortly. You said business?"

"Unfortunately, yes. In case you're wondering, I've been here for a few weeks," Paul said. "Sergeant Trombley and I have been assigned to gather volunteers for the Joint Operations program. I just came from K'zhon."

"K'zhon?" she said, to which he nodded. "How are Rotje and Deza doing?" she continued, knowing who he had seen.

"They're doing fine. Deza has her third child on the way," he paused and chuckled. "Ro didn't even let me finish explaining the program. When I told him he'd likely be working with us again, he cut me off, asking where to sign."

Shara shook her head and laughed. "That sounds like Rotje. I guess you're here to ask Garek the same." Paul nodded once. "Well, how have you been doing?"

He simply shrugged and took a drink from his canteen. "Eh, been better, been worse."

"Why are you in full military gear? Surely no one is going to attack you."

"Just doing what I was ordered to do by Garek's CO...'Bezat was it?" She nodded. "He wasn't very happy when he realized who I was. His missing lower-right mandible...er, I guess I did that."

"When?"

"On Reach, I believe. Long story short, I sliced off a mandible, he broke my ribs, stabbed me, and left me for dead. I guess he thought that I _was_ dead."

"You survived Reach?"

"Just survived."

"You said Nazo ordered you to carry all of that equipment with you? Are you under his command?"

"Until further notice, yes; he's one of the heads of this project. No point in running a program leaning towards a full-on alliance, and have a leading board of said program to be one species, right?" She nodded. "So, after some...calculation, we figured that he would be a Colonel, and here we are."

They continued to chat idly, catching up on lost time, when Garek walked in the front door. "Whose vehicle is that out front, Shara?" he called as he changed out of his armor. After changing and not receiving an answer, he walked into the common room and saw Paul, whom he didn't recognize at first. "Who is this?"

Paul snickered. "You too, eh? Not recognizing old friends seems to be a trend around here." Garek put his palm to his face when he recognized Paul. "How the hell are you?"

He sat next to Shara and said, "Fairly well. Second child is on its way, skies have been relatively quiet all around." He looked around quickly. "Where is Esa?" he said to Shara.

"She's still in school, remember?"

"Esa, your child?" Paul said.

"Daughter. She will be five come November on your calendar," he answered, then paused. "So...what brings you here?"

"I have a proposition for you. I'll just tell you what I told the others." Paul then explained Project "Phoenix" while Garek listened curiously. When he finished, he asked, "So, what do you think?"

"I want in," Garek simply answered. "What will I need?"

"Just your gear, really," Paul said and turned to Shara. "I'd hate to do this to you...but he may be gone for a while."

"No, I understand. He just got back from a long series of patrols through the system. You can never be too careful."

Paul nodded. "Don't worry, we're not going anywhere just yet. The Colonel told me that we'll be here gathering volunteers for a couple of weeks before we go anywhere off-world." Paul sighed. "Now, I just need to see that 'Drakos boy..."

"That will not be necessary," Garek said. "He told me that he has already volunteered; one of the first from Sangheilios, actually."

"That saves me some traveling, I guess."

"Speaking of traveling, that vehicle...what is it?"

"Oh, that? That is a classic, my friend. I mean _classic_. It's a Barracuda, but it's been up-sized to fit one of you guys. Apparently, a lot of young ones stayed behind and fell in love with the things, so they started manufacturing them again. You like it?"

"Yes, I do," Garek said, looking out the window. "You said I could fit in it?"

"Comfortably, yes. Ro and Deza didn't believe me either, don't worry." Paul then looked at the time, which read 3:30 PM. He sighed, "Well, I need to head back. It was good to see you two again."

"Wait," Shara said. "Why do you have to go back?"

"The Colonel doesn't want me out after dark," Paul explained. "And, I've seen some of the looks sent my way."

"Those are just prejudiced fools," Garek said. "I have had to listen to them ever since we got back here. And do not worry about it; we have plenty of room right here."

"I couldn't," Paul started, but the two Sangheili shook their heads. He sighed and shrugged. "I do need to go get my things, though...and tell the Colonel I'll be here."

"I'll come with you and put forward the word of my involvement personally," Garek said.

"Good. We need to measure you, anyway."

"Measure me for what?"

"Uniforms, of course; this _is_ a joint operations project, so we'll be under the same banner, wearing the same uniform," Paul explained as they climbed into his car. Garek was startled when the large eight-cylinder motor screamed to life. Paul chuckled, "Yeah, she's loud."

"Uniforms...what about my armor?"

Paul reached over to turn on the car's radio, and said, "You'll still have armor, but you'll have this underneath." He indicated his jacket and pants. "Now, it won't be as sophisticated and heavy as your Ranger armor, so you'll have better range of motion and be able to move faster, but your shields will be weaker. Just keep that in mind out in the field." He turned up the radio a little as music began to play. "I love this song."

When the song finished, Garek shook his head slightly. "What...was _that_?"

"That was what we humans call 'Rock'. If you don't like it, I'll change it."

Garek shook his head. "No, that is fine. It is just...I was not expecting it."

The two kept relatively quiet as they traveled down a large highway. After roughly an hour, they pulled up to a security fence with two SAF soldiers standing guard. The shorter of the two approached Paul's window. "Identification, please," he said. He then noticed Garek in the passenger seat. "No civilians, human. You know the rules."

"Hmm. Garek, hand me your ID? Now, read that off to me," Paul said impatiently, handing the ID to the guard.

"...Major Domo Garek 'Izak. Entered service fifteen years ago, been with the 482nd Ranger Division for six, and the 349th prior to that..." The guard looked at Garek through the window and back to the ID before handing it back. "I apologize, Major. Open the gate," he called to his companion.

_**Location: Officers' Quarters, SAF Military Installation #1587, Approximately 75 miles southeast of Tarasun**_

_**Local Time: 16:57 hours**_

Newly-appointed-Colonel Nazo 'Bezat was startled from his nap when there was a knock at his office door. He looked at the clock, reading 7:00 PM; he'd been asleep for 15 minutes. "Enter," he sighed. "Ah, Captain, you've finally made it back." It took a moment to recognize Garek without his armor. "And you brought 'Izak with you."

"Indeed I have, sir. They're in," Paul said, taking a seat.

"How many?"

"All of the ones I talked to. How did the Sergeant fare?"

Nazo quickly reached for a list of names. "There were a few who declined, but the majority signed on. This just might work."

Paul nodded. "When teams are formed, I want Garek here as my second in command. Could that be arranged?"

"Of course it could. What kind of question is that?" Paul shrugged. "I suppose there is a reason that you're here, Major?"

"Yes sir. I came to give you my...application myself. The Captain said something about being measured?" The Colonel nodded and told Garek to follow him while Paul waited in the office. "Why do I need to be measured? Surely that information is on file?"

Nazo sighed. "It is a requirement, in case you have grown. It's for the younger volunteers, mostly," he explained as he checked Garek's height. When he was finished, he said, "Go down the hall, take the second left, and follow the green line. That will take you to the requisitions office where you will get your uniform." Garek nodded and began walking, but the Colonel said, "Glad to have you aboard Garek."

Garek stopped; Nazo rarelyused his given name. "Glad to be a part of it. Sir," he said and continued down the hall. He soon found himself in Requisitions standing before the desk.

"Name," the soldier demanded; he sounded bored out of his mind.

"Major Domo 'Izak," Garek replied, and the guard looked up.

"Garek 'Izak?" Garek simply nodded; he'd put up with this all over Tarasun since he'd gotten back. Five_ years _ago. "I've heard a lot about you. You fought-"

"I don't have a lot of time," Garek said impatiently. The soldier nodded quickly and went to retrieve the uniform. When he returned, there was a revolver in a holster. "What is this?"

"Your sidearm, a Colt Dragon; standard issue for Sangheili officers," the Quartermaster explained. Garek shrugged and signed the appropriate forms. Before he returned to the Colonel's office, he quickly changed into the uniform, secured the holster to his thigh and belt, and put his other clothes into a duffel bag that had come with the uniform. He looked at each of his arms; the project's emblem was on his left arm, and on his right was the banner of his state. The uniform fit loosely. _"Hmm, I wonder..."_ He then put a finger to the bottom of his neck, a little to the left. The jacket immediately tightened around his torso, but the pants remained loose. He began looking for that button, and found it just beside the right pocket; pressing it, the pants did the same as the jacket. He reset the clothing and walked back to the office where the Colonel and Paul seemed to be arguing about something.

"Look, I didn't know, alright? It's not my fault that I can't read your language," Paul said as Garek walked into the office.

"That is beside the point! Our traffic monitors caught you going well over posted limits."

"Whatever. Garek, the paperwork has been filled out, let's go," Paul said as he quickly walked out of the room. Nazo sighed heavily and waved Garek out.

"What was that about?" Garek said as they walked down the hall.

Paul sighed. "Apparently, I was speeding the entire time I was out today. Ugh, he was such an asshole about it."

Garek huffed. "I know what that's like. He is always a pain to anyone new, but really eases up on you after you've been around for a while...unless he just doesn't like you."

They soon arrived at the car, and Paul tossed Garek the keys. "You drive."

Garek shrugged on got into the driver's seat, having to adjust it slightly. "You weren't lying about being able to fit," Garek muttered absently as he started the engine.

"I see they got you one of those new Dragons."

"Yeah," Garek sighed. "I am going to give it to Shara, though. She likes them more than I do."

Paul shrugged. "Whatever floats the boat, I guess," he said, leaning his seat back. "Wake me up when we get back." Garek nodded and moved to turn the radio down, but Paul told him that it would help him nap. He shrugged as Samuel Barber's _Adagio for Strings _began to play.

_"The man has an interesting taste in music," _Garek thought as the soft melody filled the car.

_**Local Time: 18:42 hours**_

Shara had just finished preparing the evening meal as Garek and Paul walked through the door. "Just in time," she said, uncovering a pan filled with a variety of stewed meats. "Don't worry, you will be able to eat it," she assured, noticing Paul eyeing it strangely. She walked through the kitchen's archway, which led into the common room. "Esa, it is meal time." The girl quickly walked in and sat at the table, waiting for her meal.

_"Damn," _Paul thought. _"She's only four and almost as tall as me…" _He then shrugged, remembering that she wasn't a human child. The girl looked over at Paul, but quickly looked away.

"She is just shy," Garek said quietly to Paul.

"I wonder who she got that from," Shara said slyly.

Garek chuckled and patted her on the head. "Well, she is her father's daughter. How was your day?" he said to Esa.

"Fine," she mumbled. Garek simply smiled and took his seat. The four ate the meal in relative silence. After Esa had finished, she quietly excused herself and went into the other room.

"Cute kid," Paul commented. "Excuse me for a moment," he said as he left the table and went outside to smoke and retrieve his things.

"Is it gone?" Esa said suddenly, poking her head through the archway.

"It's okay, child," Shara said. "That is Paul Fulmer, an old friend of ours." Esa nodded while Shara laughed. "It's okay," she said again. "He doesn't bite."

"What does he do?" Esa said, crawling into Garek's lap.

"He is a soldier, like myself," Garek told her. "Remember the human I've told you about from all those years ago?" She nodded. "Well, that is him."

"What is he like?"

"Hmm, it's like he is two different people. On the battlefield, he is cold, calculating, precise," Garek said. "But off...he is polite, easy-going, and," Garek paused, searching for the right word.

"A man who isn't afraid to have a little fun," Paul said from the archway. "Glad to see that someone thinks so highly of me." Paul sat down at the table with a sigh. "I'm not all that great."

"You forgot modest," Shara said with a laugh.

Paul shrugged. "I was just being honest." Shara gave him an incredulous look. "Okay, maybe I am a _little_ modest."

After a couple of hours exchanging stories of the past five years they were apart, Garek said, "Alright child, it's time to rest." When he looked down, he smiled; she was _already _sleeping on his lap. "I will take her," he said as Shara was about to stand.

After he had left the room, Shara turned to Paul. "Where will your first operation take place?"

"Let's wait for him to get back to tell him."

"Tell me what?"

"The details," Paul said. "You two remember Maloy, right?" Both nodded. "Well, he's been...busy, especially in Europe, the Southern United States, and a couple of new colonies."

"An insurrection, then?" Shara said.

Paul nodded. "I'm afraid so. I got out of Germany and went out to Arizona, in the States. I didn't want to have my daughter raised in that kind of environment."

"Do you think he is planning something?" Garek said.

"I don't think, I know. Remember, this man used to be a good friend of mine; I know how he thinks...but he's gotten smart. I've been tasked with hunting him for the past four years, and he's been a step ahead of me each time I've gotten close."

"Is this what the project is all about?"

Paul shook his head. "Not entirely. We're going after him, but others will be on different assignments, on different worlds. But these first missions are a...test, if you will; a challenge."

"For what?" Shara said curiously.

"To see how well the mixed units will cooperate with each other. Not only does this project depend on each team's success, but also on their success as a team," Paul explained. "They can succeed, but if they don't do so as a team, their work will have been for nothing."

"What about our team?" Garek said. "Surely they know that we have all worked together in the past?"

"That...was actually privileged information," Paul said. "You want to know why your squad was picked, specifically, six years ago, Garek?" Garek nodded once. "It started on Delta Halo. I had been talking with some Spec Ops soldiers during a lull in the fighting, and they took me to Shipmaster 'Vadum. It was there, on the Command Deck of your ship, that I proposed my idea. He laughed at first, so I just told him to watch events unfold, and gave him my contact information. After hitching a ride back to Earth, I received the call. He said it would take some time, but this project would eventually begin."

Garek nodded, letting it all sink in. "That still doesn't answer my question."

"I asked him to give me four of his best soldiers. Not Spec Ops or anything obvious like that, but soldiers; people who had fought on the frontlines, and not behind the scenes. Only, your fourth was rather unexpected." Paul looked at Shara.

"Me?"

"You were a wild card. In all honesty, I was expecting that Field Marshall...'Szem?" The two nodded. "What happened to that, Garek?"

"I was told to ask him, but he refused; told me that he had his soldiers to look after. I went to the medical wing, looking for anyone who had just been cleared. I approached Shara asking for records, and she asked why, so I told her." Garek shrugged. "She volunteered, and...the rest is history, as you humans would say."

Paul nodded. "Anyway, our group's fighting together in Africa and on the Ark was never put on official records. Seeing how successful we were as a unit, Lord Hood and Rtas pushed to have this program started, and it did, about...oh, two years ago." Paul paused for a moment, taking a drink of water. "There were mostly human volunteers at first, with only a few Sangheili; they were still a little wary of working with us. There were a lot of fights, and even a few murders at first, but things began to go smoothly after harsh punishments were enacted."

"What kind of harsh punishments?" Shara said.

"A week of solitary confinement for fist fights; whippings for major injuries, like broken arms, legs, and ribs. There were even a couple of public executions for the murders," Paul explained, his face sullen. "The murders were all Sangheili victims, not a single human being killed by Sangheili hands. And all the fights and beatings were started by humans, as well. The ones who were killed were not even in their twenties yet; just kids..."

"That's horrible," Shara mumbled.

Paul sighed, calming down. "It was expected, to be honest." Shara looked at him. "The general violence, I mean. But to be _strictly_ human on Sangheili...no one expected that."

"Things did get better, right?" Garek said.

Paul nodded. "That chaos was only the first two weeks of the Project, and that was two years ago. There are still a couple of fights here and there, but nothing as violent as those first couple of weeks."

"And the punishments?"

"They were lifted in the first year after seeing a steady drop in the violence. Now, we send the two, or more, people who fight on survival missions together; no weapons, no extra gear, just their hands and the clothes on their backs. Some of the best teams have been formed because of it."

"So," Garek said after a few minutes. "We're going to be hunting this Maloy character?"

"Yeah, bastard's been causing trouble just about everywhere he goes."

"What do you think he wants?" Shara said.

"He wants what all those extremists want; to see you gone. For good," Paul said. "Like I said six years ago, some people will have trouble seeing the good in others, especially former enemies. What I'm afraid of is another full-out war. But not us versus you," he said, pointing to himself, then at Shara. "Another war with humans killing humans...and you'll be caught in the middle."

"Maybe that won't have to happen, hmm?" Garek said. "We'llfind this bastard, and with him gone, this _will _come to an end."

"I really wish that were the case, but this serpent...has two heads," Paul said, pulling out a picture. "We want this to go away; we need her gone, too." He pointed to the photo of Jennifer Kirkendall. "She's the one behind it all. Their resources, weapons, soldiers, everything."

"Sounds like the war has already started," Shara said, shaking her head.

"Fortunately, it hasn't. Those who support Kirkendall mostly keep it to themselves, but there have been a few to publicly voice their opinions."

"Like the volunteers two years ago?" Garek said.

Paul shook his head no. "Those were more random acts of hatred or 'revenge' for lost family members, even though the victims were innocent. No, this," he pointed to the picture, "only really started a couple of months ago. Missing shipments of weapons and rations; SAF soldiers going AWOL on mixed species installations, only to be found dead or maimed about a mile away."

"Were they brought to justice?"

"Less than I'd like, but a few have, yeah," Paul sighed. When he looked at the time, he noticed they had been talking for almost three hours. "Well, I'm beat. Good night," he said, heading towards an extra room. Garek and Shara sat in silence at the table for a few minutes, praying for the lost souls before heading to bed themselves.


	7. Chapter 6: The Unforgiven

_Chapter VI: The Unforgiven_

_**Location: SAF Military Installation #1587, Main Courtyard**_

_**Date: Tuesday, September 5, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 09:00 hours**_

Garek and Paul stood before the gathered volunteers, who were idly chatting amongst their own small groups. They looked at each other and nodded when they noticed Colonel 'Bezat approaching. "Attention," Paul called, the troops quickly getting into even lines and rows. Paul nodded, "That's what I like to see, at ease." The soldiers went into a parade rest position while the Colonel silently handed Paul a list. "Thank you, sir," he said before turning back to the formation. "All right, listen up! I have a list of names here. As I call out your name, you will come up here, and I will assign you to your teams. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," they called in unison.

Paul nodded and started calling out names. "Chief Master Sergeant Bradley, 2nd Lieutenant Madera, Sergeant Trombley, Sergeant First Class 'Tsom, and Corporal 'Drakos," Paul called, each coming forward. "Get your gear gentlemen, you're with Fireteam Alpha." The group saluted and went to gather their things as Paul continued going off the list. When the groups had reassembled, "Welcome to the project, ladies and gentlemen. Report to your respective COs and get your assignments. You head out next week to your individual AOs, until then, you all have free time. Dismissed!"

"That went relatively well," Garek commented as the other five members of Alpha walked over.

Paul nodded in agreement. "Not even a moment of hesitation like when I first got here. Things are looking up." He smiled when they had all gathered. "Well gentlemen, this is it."

"What are we going to be doing?" Ar'n said eagerly.

"Next week, we're heading to Earth to try and root out any members of the rising insurrection. We'll be touching down in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, in the Southern United States. Now, we'll be going in undercover, so we'll only have weapons we can conceal." The group nodded. "Except for you Garek, you'll have your eyes up high. Our main objective will be to find this man." Paul pulled out a photo and showed them. "His name is Christian Fett, believed to have a hand in the weapons trafficking around the state." The group nodded again. "That's all the intel I have for now."

_**Location: Home of Garek ' Izak & Shara 'Hesum, City-State of Tarasun**_

_**Local Time: 12:30 hours**_

After they had gathered in the lawn, the growl of an Impreza WRX STI made them look toward the street. They all watched as a Sangheili couple retrieved two children from the rear of the vehicle. As they walked closer, Paul saw the unmistakable orange-red eyes of Deza. "About time you guys showed up," he said as they sat down. "K'zhon isn't that far away."

"I had to go back by the installation and get my things. We got caught up in talking to some other volunteers," Rotje explained.

Garek shrugged. "The food just finished cooking, anyway," he said, handing him a plate with a strip of roast on it. He also made one for Deza and handed it to her.

"Where is Shara?" she said.

"She'll be out in a moment. The short one is helping her make...what was it again?"

"A small batch of coleslaw," Paul said. "It's like a salad that's been shredded."

"I doubt we'll be able to eat that," Rotje said.

"That's why it's a small batch," Paul shrugged. "And you could eat it, but it would be messy." Paul then looked at the purple Impreza. "When did you get the car, Ro?"

"It was shipped here a couple of days ago, but no one claimed it. It was going to be scrapped, so I signed for it," he said. "We needed another vehicle, anyway."

"And that one is mine. You can have the other one," Deza said.

Rotje shrugged. "Purple is not my color."

"Then you must've _hated _being stuck on a ship for all that time," Paul said dryly.

Rotje huffed. "Don't get me started."

"Don't, please," Shara said as she approached the table. "Deza and I heard enough of it while he was in the medical wing. I honestly have no idea he was how he able to put up with it, as much complaining as he did." The group ate while the children played around the yard. They ended up discussing the mission starting next week. "So, where are you all going?"

"Earth," Paul said. "We're looking to take down an arms smuggler in the southern United States. HighCom thinks he may have ties to the rising insurrection in that area." Paul had been told not to tell anyone besides his fireteam, but he told Shara and Deza anyway. _"They have a right to know," _he thought. After they had finished lunch, they continued to talk about the mission, thinking of ways to carry it out, and multiple ways to do them. Paul sighed when he saw an arguement about to start. "The important thing is," he said loudly, hushing the group. "The important thing is that we take the bastard alive, all right? We're taking down an arms dealer, not assaulting a CCS Cruiser."

Garek raised a brow. "How would you know what that's like?"

Paul took on a distant look. "I've been around," he shrugged.

"You said we were going in undercover?" Rotje said, getting the conversation back on topic.

"That's right, civilian attire only; no uniforms, no armor." Paul continued to give small details about the AO, location, and civilian population. They would have to be careful; Little Rock was a busy city.

_**Date: Sunday, September 10, 2558**_

_**Local Time: 04:55 hours**_

Soon, the week had passed, and Garek was getting ready to leave; Paul had left the day before to make sure all of the groups made it back for their assignments. "How long do you think you will be gone?" Shara said as he dismantled his sniper rifle and loaded it into a case.

"I'm not sure. I hope I'm not gone for _too _long," he sighed. "Paul said we were going to scout possible locations where this human might be staying." He embraced Shara, and they stayed this way for a few minutes. "Don't worry about me. I'll be back before you know it."

"Just...come back in one piece," she mumbled.

He kissed the top of her head. "I will." He then walked into Esa's room. The girl was still sleeping; it was 5 AM. He shook her gently, "Esa?" She slowly opened her eyes. "It's time for father to go away for a while. Behave for your mother, understand?"

She nodded tiredly. "I will, father. How long will you be gone?"

"I won't be gone for too long, child." He then remembered something Paul had said before. "I promise." He kissed her forehead as she went back to sleep. When he opened the front door, he found Rotje on the other side.

"Ready to go?" he said.

Garek nodded and noticed how tired his friend looked. "You look terrible. Not sleep well?" Rotje simply shook his head. "Well, there is plenty of time for rest on the way there, brother. I tell you what, I'll drive." Rotje simply handed him the keys to his Jeep; a CJ5 remake. "What is it with all the pre-2000 vehicles being remade?" Garek thought aloud.

"Don't know, too tired to care," Rotje said as he climbed into the passenger seat and reclined it slightly.

Before too long, Garek pulled up to the installation's gate. "Good morning, 2nd Lieutenant," the guard said with a pause, checking his ID. "Take your vehicle to the Phantom over in Hangar 7G." Garek nodded and drove over to the hangar, finding Paul leaning against the wall outside.

"Why are we taking this?" Garek said, indicating the Jeep.

Paul shrugged. "It'll save us from having to get transportation later." He hopped in the back; the soft top had been removed. "We're only bringing this and the Barracuda."

"Why do we not take Ar'n's vehicle?"

"Not enough room. Only this and my car will fit in the Phantom with enough room for all of us to have seats. Plus, there are only eight of us, we have enough seating for everyone," Paul explained. Garek simply shrugged, drove up the small ramp into the dropship, and secured it to the deck once they were inside. "What's the matter with him?" Paul said, pointing at Rotje.

"He said that he didn't sleep well last night." Paul gave a simple 'hmm' in response. He walked over to the driver side of the jeep, and put a hand over the vehicle's steering wheel.

"Might want to cover your ears," he said quietly, and Garek complied. Paul smirked and pressed the center of the wheel, causing the horn to blare. Rotje fell out of the Jeep in surprise, as Paul laughed and walked over the fallen Sangheili. "Well good morning, sunshine," he said as he offered his hand.

Rotje took it and Paul helped him to his feet. "What the hell did you do that for?" Rotje growled groggily.

"We're about to take off, Sergeant. You can sleep in one of the Phantom's seats."

"You could have just told me," he grumbled.

"What would have been the fun in that?" Paul said innocently. Rotje simply huffed tiredly, secured himself to a seat, and fell asleep almost immediately. "He _really_ didn't sleep well," Paul thought aloud. Rotje mumbled something. "What?"

"He talks in his sleep," Garek said. As Paul shrugged and took a seat, "What about you?"

"I've never needed a lot of sleep. About four hours, and I'm set for the day," Paul said. "And you?"

"I'll just rest on the trip over. I didn't sleep well, either, but Rotje has _never _been a morning person."

"Not a morning person and he's a soldier," Paul chuckled. "How did that go with his superiors?"

Garek shrugged. "You would have to ask him." Garek looked around the cargo bay, noticing that the others were asleep as well. "Even Nazo is out...only three of us awake on this entire Phantom?"

"I'm not asleep," Nazo said. "I was merely resting my eyes." He opened his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "What do you two think about this?" he said suddenly.

"The mission?" Paul said, receiving a nod. "Seems simple enough..._but_ I know not to get my hopes up," he finished as Nazo was about to say something.

Nazo nodded. "Good. Maybe you're smart, after all."

"My intelligence was in question?" Paul said in shock. "That hurts, Colonel." Nazo simply shook his head, hearing the sarcasm.

After they had docked with the ship transporting them, the _Shadow of Intent_, they found Rtas 'Vadum waiting for them. _"What a surprise,"_ Paul thought with light sarcasm. "Shipmaster, it's been a while," he said as they shook hands.

Rtas agreed with a quiet nod, and moved over to Garek. "You are looking well, Major. How is the family?"

"They are doing fine, sir. My second child is on the way. Oh, and it's 2nd Lieutenant now," Garek said, receiving a short congratulations from Rtas.

Rtas moved over to the Nazo. "Colonel, I suppose you are in control of this motley crew?"

"Motley crew? These are some of the best and brightest that stand before you."

"I was merely joking. It is a rather strange group, though. Do you not agree?"

Nazo shrugged. "I suppose." They all turned as Rotje _finally _exited the Phantom.

"Sergeant First Class 'Tsom. Still not a morning person, I see," Rtas said, folding his arms behind his back, Rotje merely grunting in response. "You all wanted to strengthen this alliance? Then you will live amongst the common soldiers while on this ship. You will share bunks with them, rise with them, drill with them, and eat with them. You may be a Special Operations task force, but you are still soldiers. Do you understand?" Rtas said as he paced before the squad.

"Yes sir," they replied in unison.

"Good, you may leave now. Your bunks are here. You will rise again at 0800 hours," he said pointing to a map on the wall. After they had left, only Nazo and Rtas remained. "Do you think this will work?"

"I'm sure of it. They work together as if we had been allies all along."

Rtas walked over to the Phantom. "What is this?" he said, gesturing to the vehicles.

"Their transportation; roaming civilian streets in military vehicles would attract too much attention."

Rtas sighed. "I knew that much. But why did they bring their own personal vehicles?"

Nazo walked between the Jeep and Barracuda and pointed to the small emblems on the front fenders. "They are marked with the Phoenix, the symbol of this project."

Rtas bent down and examined one of the emblems. "I have heard of this creature, quite an interesting tale. It is fitting, I suppose." Rtas paused for a moment. "I just hope they succeed. All of them."

"I have observed every volunteer from Sangheilios. It was almost unbelievable how quickly they adapted to being around each other; new soldiers, experienced officers, veteran Spec Ops, all working together as if they had been their entire lives. This _will_ work, I am sure of it."

"We will see, old friend. We will see." With that, they left the loading bay and went their separate ways.

_**Location: The River Market District, City of Little Rock, Arkansas**_

_**Date: Thursday, September 7, 2558 **_

_**Local Time: 16: 37 hours**_

Christian Fett looked over his shoulder and saw a black Barracuda following him down the street. He shook his head as he entered the door to his apartment building. _"I'm just being paranoid," _he thought as he paused in the doorway and watched the car pass. He couldn't see through the glass due to the dark tint, but he did see the small emblem on the fender. _"It can't be," _he thought. He shook his head again and entered the building. _"They wouldn't waste their time with me." _He quickly got in the elevator and went to his floor. He smiled as he entered the apartment and saw what was seated in a chair in the middle of the room, "Hey there, beautiful."

"He saw us," Ar'n said as he turned the Barracuda around a corner. Rotje was in the passenger seat with Paul seated in the back. Garek, Cesar, and Alfred were in a hotel room at the end of the street; Garek with his rifle watching the city block, the others waiting in case the three down below would need backup.

"Good," Paul said.

Rotje turned to look at him. "Good? It's good that he saw us? Surely he knows what the badge on the fender means?"

Paul nodded. "It's not exactly a secret, but he's going to think we're not here for him. And, he saw the car, not us." Rotje turned back towards the front and watched the street, looking for any sign of trouble.

"This tint is illegal," Ar'n stated.

"It's tagged in the federal database as a government vehicle, we're fine."

"So, what do we do from here? Now that we have his address," Rotje said.

"We'll watch him for a couple of days. That's what the hotel rooms are for," Paul replied.

"I can't believe I am actually missing a military bunk," Ar'n thought aloud, Rotje nodding in agreement.

"It's not all that bad," Paul said dismissively. "At least the people at this hotel seemed nice. Remember how we were treated at the first few?" The two nodded, remembering how fast they had been told to leave a few of the hotels; a couple others simply didn't have any rooms or big enough beds for the Sangheili.

They watched him until Saturday; he worked during the week and had the weekends off, or so his "boss" had told Paul when he asked for the man's job record. _"He is leaving the building," _Garek said over the comm as he watched through his scope.

"We see him," Rotje said from the Barracuda, which was parked in an alley down the street. "Do we follow?" he said as Fett climbed into his truck. Paul simply tapped Ar'n on the shoulder, signaling him to drive. He then told Ar'n to park in the spot Fett's vehicle had just occupied, confusing the two Sangheili. "What are we doing?"

"Alfred, Cesar, you good to go?" Paul said over the comm.

_"Affirmative," _Alfred replied from the Jeep as they pulled out of a parking garage and followed the target. _"Vehicle is in sight."_

"Good, don't lose him. Garek, stay where you are and keep an eye on the street in case someone follows us in."

_"Copy that."_

"What do you mean 'in'?" Rotje said. In response, Paul pulled out his Colt Python, loaded it, and closed the cylinder.

"We're going inside," he said simply. "Check your weapons, safeties on. Let's go." The two did as they were told and exited the vehicle.

"We don't even know which apartment he lives in," Rotje reminded.

"I'll take care of that," Paul said as he walked up the steps and entered. He walked up to the landlord's desk while Ar'n and Rotje stood off to the side. "Excuse me, ma'am?" The old woman looked up and saw the two Sangheili.

"We don't rent rooms to their kind," she said.

"Oh, no ma'am. We were just looking for a friend's apartment, Christian Fett is his name."

"Room 318, fifth floor, but he just left."

"That's fine, he told us to let ourselves in and wait for him. He said he'll be back shortly." The woman shrugged and pushed a button, unlocking the door to the elevators and stairs. The three took the stairs, and made sure the floor was relatively clear. When they approached the door, Paul signaled for them to get on either side as he pulled out his sidearm. He checked the door, and quietly entered when he found it was unlocked, Ar'n and Rotje doing the same. They froze when they saw what was in the common room area. "Holy shit," Paul mumbled.

"Who is there?" a blindfolded Sangheili woman rasped weakly; she had been badly beaten and her throat was dry from crying. Paul quickly asked for Rotje's trenchcoat and covered her naked body, removing the blindfold afterward.

"Help," Paul said simply. The woman's eyes shone for a moment, and he continued. "What's your name, ma'am?" he said as he cut her hands free.

"Kya," she coughed. Paul handed her his canteen.

Ar'n took notice of her Orange-Red eyes and the striping on her skin. "Would you happen to be from the area around K'zhon?" he said, receiving a nod. "Are you badly hurt?" She simply shook her head, new tears starting to form.

Paul helped her get out of the chair. "Ar'n, take her back to the hotel and check her for any severe injuries...and take the back door." He nodded and helped the Kya out of the room.

"What do we do now?" Rotje said. Paul's answer was to close the door and grab a chair from the dining area. He pointed over to a dark corner on the other side of the room, where Rotje leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "What are we going to do to him?"

"See how he likes it when the tables are turned," Paul replied.

_"A little too calmly,''_ Rotje thought as he began to idly tap his claws against his sleeves.

Paul stood as he heard someone approach the door, not fifteen minutes later. He signaled for Rotje to stay where he was; he was almost invisible in that corner. Paul got behind the door right as their target opened it. "I'm back, beautiful," he called, and Paul rolled his eyes. "What the hell?" Fett mumbled when he saw the empty chair. He walked over when he saw a piece of paper on the seat. His hands shook after he picked it up; it was a picture of a Phoenix.

"Hello, Mr. Fett," Paul said as he quietly closed the door and locked it. "Please, have a seat." It was then that Paul heard the hammer on Rotje's revolver being pulled back. Christian quickly turned around and saw the large handgun in his face and the even larger alien that held it. He quickly stumbled into the bloody chair.

"Should I bind him?" Rotje said in rough German; Paul had taken them on a crash course in the language over the couple of weeks in training.

"That will not be necessary," Paul replied, also in German. "So, Mr. Fett," he began, reverting back to English and lighting a cigarette. The man said nothing. "I'm going to ask you a few _very _simple questions. Understand?"

"What the hell is this?" Christian said instead. Paul stopped in front of the man and shook his head. Rotje winced ever-so-slightly when he punched the man hard in the jaw.

"I'm asking the questions, Mr. Fett," Paul said calmly. Christian quickly nodded after he spat out some blood. "Alright, first question; where did you find the girl?" Rotje looked at him for a second and then turned back to Fett. When the man didn't answer, Paul signed at Rotje to shoot him.

"What?" Rotje signed with his free hand.

"His left knee," Paul signed back. Rotje sighed quietly and adjusted his aim. "I'll give you three seconds, Mr. Fett. Don't make me do this." Paul brought up his watch. "One...two...th-"

"I just took her off the street," Christian blurted.

Paul nodded, but signed to keep the gun ready. "Why did you do that?" Paul said, pulling up a chair opposite to the man. "Why did you want to beat an innocent young woman?"

"Because they're fr-"

"Freaks," Paul cut him off and laughed; there was no humor in it. "I dealt with assholes like you every day for two weeks when this project started. They got off easy." Paul shook his head. "You, however, do not. So, you wanted to beat this young woman, just because you feltlike it?"

"Yeah," Christian said with a grin. "They deserve it for what they did all those years ago." Paul snapped his fingers. Christian screamed as the .44MAG round shattered his left knee.

"Shut up," Paul shouted. He patted the man in the face several times to get his attention. "Listen to me, _focus._" Fett quickly stopped screaming, but still whimpered in pain. "Wrong answer, Mr. Fett. Don't make things any harder for yourself, and _maybe _you'll walk again. Got it?" Christian nodded. "Good. Now, on to the weapons; who are those for?"

"I don't know," Christian said.

Paul sighed. "Don't lie to me, Mr. Fett. Who are the weapons for?"

"I don't know! I all I got was a name!"

"What name was that?" Paul said, putting the cigarette out.

"Jak," he said. "That's it, I swear."

"Jack with a C?" Fett shook his head. "No C, then, just J-A-K?" Christian nodded. "Alright, I believe you. Do you meet face to face?"

"No, we send info to each other through contacts, but I do know that it's a woman. Jak, I mean." Paul nodded slowly and asked if he knew anything else about this woman, though he already had a feeling he knew who "Jak" was. "No, I just meet with whoever she sends to make the pickup. I don't know what they're for, and I don't ask."

"Has an Irishman ever made the pickup?" Paul said and pulled out a photo. "This man in particular?"

Fett nodded. "That's him. He makes all the pickups."

Paul nodded and signed to Rotje to put away his revolver. "That's all the questions I have Mr. Fett, but you'll have to come with us. I hope you like changes of scenery." Paul told Alfred to bring the Jeep out front over the comm. "Oh, and new faces. You're going to be seeing a _lot _of them." Paul delivered a knock-out punch to Christian and dragged him out of the building, startling the landlord.

"We were never here. Got it?" Rotje said. The old lady nodded quickly when she saw the large handgun holstered under his arm. "That was a little extreme," he said as several people stepped out of their way outside.

"Perhaps, but he did need to be taught that karma is an unforgiving bitch."

Rotje sighed as Paul set the unconscious man in the passenger seat. "Just try not to get blood everywhere, please."

"No promises," he replied, tying a bandana around the deformed area that used to be Fett's left kneecap.


	8. Chapter 7: Blazing Anew

_Chapter VII: Blazing Anew_

_**Location: Shadow of Intent in orbit over Sangheilios **_

_**Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Ship Clock: 08:00 hours**_

Paul pushed the limping form of Christian Fett into the Command Deck. Several officers looked over when the man yelped and fell over; some chuckled, but quickly went back to their stations. Paul noticed Ar'n standing with the young woman they had found in Christian's apartment, Kya 'Telam; she hadn't left the Sergeant's side since they had returned to the _Shadow of Intent_.

Christian slowly looked up when a pair of alien hooves stopped in front of him. "Is this the one?" he heard a deep voice say.

"It is, Shipmaster," Paul answered. Fett cried out again as Paul roughly lifted him to his feet. "Yeah, he's a _real _tough guy."

"Hmm," Rtas said. "What have you gotten him to say?"

"Everything we needed to know, and a little more," Paul answered as Rtas tilted his head. "He told us that Richard Maloy is indeed gathering weapons for something. You want my opinion?" Rtas waved his hand for Paul to continue. "I think we'll have a war on our hands in the next year or so, Shipmaster."

"Something your species cannot afford," Rtas said. "What about him?"

"Oh, we'll drop him off in the village of K'zhon. I heard the locals are rather...protective," Paul said. "What do think about that, Mr. Fett? You'll get to see more people just like that young lady over there." Paul indicated Kya looking at the planet on a view screen. "Only, they won't be tied to a chair."

"He had bound the female?" Rtas said, Paul nodding in response. Rtas made Christian look him in the eyes. "Only cowards beat women...but to have one bound to a piece of furniture...you _must _be pathetic." Rtas quickly walked back to his seat. "Get that filth out of my Command Deck."

"Yes sir," Paul said and roughly hauled the man out. He nodded to the two security officers outside. "Get this piece of shit to a cell." One nodded as the other shoved Christian down the hall. Paul walked back into the Command Deck and over to Kya and Ar'n. "Ma'am," he said when he got next to the two. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine now," she said. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job, ma'am."

Ar'n shook his head slightly. "And he says he's not modest," he muttered.

Paul shrugged. "I don't get paid to be modest, Sergeant. I get paid to do my job." Paul nudged Ar'n. "Looks like you made a new friend, eh?" Ar'n said nothing as Kya blushed slightly. "Uh-huh."

"It seems that relationships starting on this ship has become commonplace," Rtas suddenly said from beside Paul; he didn't even notice the Shipmaster approach.

"Who said anything about a relationship?" Ar'n said.

"Please, Sergeant. I have been around long enough to know a couple when I see one, even if they do not," Rtas said. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is not something you should hide, no matter the circumstances." Rtas checked the time; the four had been quietly looking at the planet for forty-five minutes. He turned around and saw the entire bridge crew doing the same; some had even turned their seats to get a better look. Rtas thought for a moment and then said, "Helm."

"Sir!"

"Take us in and have us dock near Tarasun, if you can." The helmsman nodded and opened a comm channel to the shipyard nearest to Tarasun. After the helmsman had informed Rtas that they were on their way, he turned on the ship-wide comm. "This is your Shipmaster speaking. I have good news, and I have bad news," Rtas paused, letting that bit sink in. "The good news is that we will be making landfall in the city of Tarasun and all crew members have one month of leave. But the bad news...you will _all _be on call. Enjoy your leave, but be prepared to come back at any time. That is all." Rtas sighed as he watched the terrain pass by on a view screen; he, personally, needed this free time. _"I will see if I can have another ship sent out if something comes up," _he thought. He looked at the two young Sangheili and the human Captain as they discussed something. Rtas put someone in charge of the Command Deck as he followed the group out.

_**Location: Shadow of Intent loading bay, Tarasun Shipyard **_

_**Local Time: 09:00 hours**_

Kya looked at each of the vehicles that had been brought aboard while Paul's fireteam had observed Christian Fett, and saved her in the process. Only a few of them were new designs; most were remakes of mid- to late-20th century and the early 21st century. She paused when her eyes fell upon a particular car. "Captain Fulmer, what is this?" she said to the man in question, who happened to be staring at a "Fathom Green" Chevrolet El Camino.

He looked over and smiled when he saw the car. "Ma'am..._that _is a Camaro, based on the 2010 model," he said. The car in question was obviously custom built; it had a dark gray and orange-red two tone paint scheme, with a silver pinstripe separating the two colors. The interior had black leather seats and matching door panels with the same orange-red accents from outside. Paul lifted the hood and saw a vintage 454 V8 that had been completely restored and converted to use hydrogen. Someone had even taken the time to make some custom wheels akin to Centerline Racing's style; they were a few inches wider in the rear of the car and had the spokes set deep into the wheel, those being a flat gray color with small orange-red designs in the center of each spoke. "Someone must have paid a good amount for this ride," Paul said with a whistle.

"I did," Ar'n suddenly said from behind them. "And it wasn't as much as you would think."

"How much?"

"It was actually a trade," Ar'n said. "The previous owner told me he builds these, then looks for vehicles to trade, and builds those up. He was interested in the Suburban, and he showed me this car." Ar'n walked over to the driver side and got in. "There is just something about that old human vehicle manufacturer, 'Chevrolet' as you called it. Their designs from that era..." Paul nodded in agreement as Ar'n trailed off; even though he was native to Germany, he had taken a liking to American muscle cars after the war had ended and he had actually had the time to do some research on the vehicles.

"It's not only the design that has my attention," Kya said, walking around the vehicle. "The colors...so contrasting, yet they fit together perfectly."

Paul looked a few cars over when he heard a door open, where he saw Rtas looking over a Mercedes Benz. "Exotic taste, eh Shipmaster?" he called.

Rtas simply walked to the front of the car and crossed his arms. "This one is not for me," he said and pointed to an all-original Lamborghini LM002. "That one is mine."

"What about the Benz?" Paul said, looking at the C 84 AMG.

Rtas shook his head. "It is a gift...and a surprise."

"Quite a gift," Paul said. "Who's the lucky lady Shipmaster? You can tell me." Rtas sighed, waved him closer, and whispered the name. "Who?" Paul asked quietly. Rtas gave the person's title, and Paul nodded once. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Good. If word got out..."

"Word about what?" Paul said. Rtas tilted his head and almost said it out loud, but Paul had already walked back over to the Camaro. He looked back at the Mercedes and nodded.

After they had finished unloading the vehicles and had Christian Fett transported to the SAF installation outside of Tarasun, the fireteam stood in the shipyard and waited for their individual vehicles. "Wait. Where's the Captain?" Alfred said.

"He said he had to fill out some paperwork," Garek said. "He'll be back in a few minutes." Suddenly an azure Barracuda with large black stripes on the rear quarter panels pulled up to the group, leading their vehicles.

Paul got out and tossed Garek the keys. "Merry Christmas."

"What?" Garek said with confusion, but got the hint after a moment. "No," he said and held the keys out. "I can't accept this."

"You can and will, Garek. It's a gift," Paul said. Garek tried to argue further, but Paul wouldn't back down. Eventually, he gave up and signed for ownership of the car.

"You didn't have to do this," he sighed. "I could have gotten one myself."

Paul shrugged. "Well, now you don't have to. No need to thank me." Garek looked back at the car, shrugged, and got in. The others followed suit and the impromptu convoy drove into the city.

_**Location: Home of Garek 'Izak & Shara 'Hesum, City-State of Tarasun **_

_**Local Time: 09:50 hours**_

Shara smiled when she heard the familiar rumble of Paul's car outside. _"Wait," _she thought, hearing not one, but two motors. Looking outside, she saw Paul's black and red Barracuda. She leaned to her left slightly to get a better view of the driveway, and saw the rear end of a metallic-blue car. She walked outside and watched Garek exit the blue Barracuda; _his _Barracuda. "Where did you get this?" she said to Garek as he walked closer.

"It was a gift," he said simply.

"Do I even need to ask who it's from?" she said rhetorically. She looked out to the street as a grey and orange Camaro, black CJ7, and a white F-250 parked in a line on the curb. Shara sighed quietly when she recognized the Jeep. "You come back, but they follow," she mumbled.

"They'll only be here for a little while," Garek said. "We have a surprise for Deza, and we all agreed to meet here for it."

Shara continued to look at the vehicles and saw who she thought was Deza. "She's already here," Shara stated, not understanding. Garek smiled and waved them over. As they came closer, Shara realized that it wasn't her friend. "Who is it, then?"

"Ar'n's mate," he joked when they had gathered, receiving a glare from Ar'n. Garek, seeing the look, "Oh, calm down. It's one of Deza's sisters, Kya." Kya gave a quiet hello when Shara looked at her.

"You like just like your sister," she complimented, receiving a quiet thank you in return. "When will she arrive?" she said to Rotje.

"I told her we would be here before we left the _Shadow of Intent_, so she should be a few more minutes." Just then, a purple Impreza pulled up behind the other vehicles. "Or, she could arrive now." He walked over to her and they embraced, talking as they did so. Rotje told her something, and Deza looked over his shoulder.

"You have a surprise for me?" she said to no one in particular after approaching the group. Garek and Ar'n stepped to the side; they had been standing in front of Kya. Deza stared at the woman as if she had seen a ghost. "Kya," she breathed. She then began whispering quickly in the dialect of her village, walking toward her sister as she did. "By the Gods...I haven't seen you since we were children," she exclaimed as they hugged. Deza then noticed the scars on her sister's wrists and arms. "What happened to you?"

"I'm fine, Deza, really. It's nothing to worry about."

Before Deza could protest, Ar'n said, "Perhaps at another time, hmm? She has been through a lot in the past week." Deza sighed and nodded. "I can't believe we all got a month of leave after only one mission; a fairly simple one, at that."

"Just remember that we're on call," Paul said. "We could go back at any time. Story of our lives," he finished with a scoff. " Shara looked over at Garek, who nodded. "But...we were the first fireteam to report back. We won't know anything until the rest give the details of their assignments."

"How long do you think they will take?" Shara said, to which Paul shrugged.

"Could be a few hours, to days, to weeks; each team had different assignments, each one varying in difficulty. I would say we got lucky with ours; Mr. Fett could've had friends waiting for us out in the street if he had been warned of our presence."

"Is that where you found her?" Shara whispered to Garek, receiving a nod in return. She didn't want Deza to overhear, but she had.

"Where is this human?" she said angrily.

Rotje put a hand on her shoulder. "In custody," he said. "We're pushing to have him imprisoned in K'zhon."

Deza nodded in acceptance. "He will receive a very pleasantwelcome there," she said sarcastically. "What did he do?" she said, turning to her sister, Kya simply shaking her head. "_Tell me_." Kya sighed and waved for Deza to follow.

"I would be pissed too, but damn," Alfred mumbled. "I can almost _feel_ the hate."

"Deza has always been protective of her family, especially her younger sisters," Shara said.

"Hey, we have some time off, so let's enjoy it while we have the opportunity?" Paul said.

"Yeah," Rotje agreed. "What's for lunch? I'm so hungry I could, uh...what do you humans always say?"

"Eat a horse," Paul finished. "It's not even close to that time of day, Ro. Didn't you eat breakfast?" Rotje shook his head, and Paul scoffed. "It's the most important meal of the day. Let me guess, you slept through breakfast on the ship?" Rotje simply looked at the ground. "Are you sure you're in the military?" Paul joked. "Or do I have an armed civilian in my squad?"

"Lunch will be a surprise," Garek said suddenly, all eyes going to him. "I will be preparing it."

"Since when do you cook?" Shara said.

"Since a certain someone needs a little break," he retorted quietly, poking her stomach.

A couple of hours later, the group sat outside chatting idly about random things; families, the weather, recent events, etcetera. Rotje then turned his head sharply toward the door leading into the kitchen. "Lunch is ready," he stated, smelling the meal before it even left the building.

_**Location: Unknown**_

_**Local Time: 19:00 hours**_

"What happened?" a Scottish woman said impatiently.

"We've lost contact with Fett, ma'am," an Irishman replied.

The woman sighed heavily. "Who was it?"

"We don't know...but I have a feeling about who it may have been. You know of that project started two years ago?"

The woman nodded. "I know just the one. What about it?"

"Some people said they saw Fett being dragged out of his apartment building by a tall German and one of..._them_...walking behind him in a military uniform and not the standard armor. He also had a large revolver in a shoulder harness."

"What does this have to do with the project?"

"The landlord said that the Elite had a red Phoenix on his left sleeve, a mark of being in the project," the man answered. "I believe I know who the man was. I think you do as well, ma'am; an old _friend _of ours."

"It can't be," the woman protested. "I watched him die myself!"

The man shook his head. "You underestimate him, ma'am. He's tough, and he's got luck on his side."

"It can't be," she repeated in disbelief. "What makes you think it is?"

"A very distinctive scar on the left side of his face says it all to me, ma'am."

The woman frowned as she brushed a lock of hair behind an ear. "You know what to do."

The Irishman nodded grimly. "Yes ma'am."

_**Location: Home of Garek 'Izak & Shara 'Hesum**_

_**Local Time: 15:30 hours**_

"You better not do anything to hurt her, do you understand me?" Deza quietly told Ar'n as they walked over to his car; Kya was already sitting within.

"Don't worry about her. Hell, I think she is tougher than you are," he retorted. She grabbed his arm, stopping him. He jerked his arm free and huffed. "I understand." Deza glared at him as he closed the distance to the vehicle. "Besides, I am not one to rush things. I will wait until _she _is ready to continue," he said over his shoulder. Deza looked to her left when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"They will be fine," Rotje said. "Ar'n is patient; perhaps _too _patient, and your sister is a strong woman." Deza sighed and watched the car pull away, followed by Alfred's truck.

"I suppose I am being a little over protective," she said.

"A little? If looks could kill..." Rotje was cut off by an elbow striking him in the stomach. "Take a joke, woman," he mumbled, rubbing his side. They then said their farewells and went on their way, Paul leaving soon afterward.

"So, a month?" Shara said as she and Garek sat in the common room.

"One month," Garek replied, not looking away from his book. "The Captain did want us to come to the installation twice a week for some things."

"What kind of things?"

"Drills and language lessons, or so he told us; he wants us to learn German, and for us to teach them our common dialect." Garek sighed. "I don't know if they will be able to speak the language very well."

"Why German, of all languages?" Shara said; she knew that Paul was native to the country, but why not just use English like he normally did?

"He wants us all to know a language that's not commonly used any more. He already spoke German, so he chose that. Oh, and he's teaching us sign language."

"Why?"

"In case speaking would give our position away," Garek shrugged. "Both are relatively simple."

"Anything else?"

"Apart from that and some minor weapons training, not much that is worth mentioning." Shara sensed that she wasn't being told something, but didn't pry. Suddenly, a figure pounced on Garek from behind the couch.

"Father, you're back," Esa exclaimed.

"That I am, child," he chuckled. "And I won't leave again for a while."

"How long?" she said excitedly. Just as Garek was about to answer, his PDA chimed. He looked at it and sighed.

"I'll be back in a few hours," he said. "The last group just got back and a mandatory meeting has been called."

"But you said-" Esa started, but Garek cut her off.

"I am not leaving the district, child. I'll be back before dark."

_**Location: SAF Military Installation #1587, Briefing Room**_

_**Local Time: 14:35 hours**_

When Garek reached the door to the briefing room, he found Paul waiting for him. "Afternoon, Lieutenant. We were just waiting for you to begin the debriefing." After they entered, Garek saw the other twenty-five fireteam leaders with their SICs present.

"Have a seat Captain, 2nd Lieutenant. This shouldn't take too much of your time," Nazo said. After the two had settled, he continued, "Each assignment was, more or less, successful." Nazo paused, eyeing a few of the FT leaders. "_But_, all of you had specific orders to bring in your targets alive with _no civilian casualties_." Garek noticed one of the officers twitch slightly.

"That wasn't my fault! I-" a young Sangheili complained, but Nazo cut him off.

"Do _not_ make excuses, First Sergeant 'Asar. You _know _better than to fire into a crowd. For that little outburst, you're on probation until further notice." The Sergeant sighed quietly and leaned back in his chair. The Colonel then gave a summary of each team's assignment. When he had finished, "It may take some time before you receive new assignments, but that does _not _mean you should stay disconnected with your teams until then. It has been suggested that you do drills and group exercises once or twice a week. There are also language classes being given, those are mandatory." A few Sangheili groaned. "What are you? Children?" Nazo said in annoyance. "Not a single human in this room has complained about anything, but you seem to have trouble taking a simple class! Those who complained are expected to arrive before anyone else, is that clear?"

"Yes sir," they said. After the Colonel dismissed them, Paul said good-bye to Garek and walked over to E'ros 'Asar, the young Sangheili from before.

"First Sergeant, come with me, please," Garek heard him say.

"What? Why?"

"I'm making you run drills, mandatory for soldiers on probation."

"This is ridiculous. Under whose or-"

"The Colonel's order. I don't care where you want to be, kid. You screw up, there are consequences. Now, fall in line before you make things worse," Paul said with finality.

"Yes, Captain," E'ros mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Yes sir," he said louder.

"Alright. First, we're going to run some basic room clearing techniques," Paul explained as Garek got out of earshot.

Garek chuckled. _"That man could have gotten a Prophet to believe they were wrong if he really tried," _he joked to himself.

-  
><em><strong>Location: Fulmer Residence, city limits of Tucson, Arizona<strong>_

_**Date: Friday, September 15, 2558**_

_**Local Time: 19:36 hours**_

Lena sighed sadly from the kitchen doorway as she watched her daughter, Hanna, sleep on the couch. "When are you coming home Paul?" she said to herself. She hadn't seen much of her husband in over six years; Hanna barely knew who the man was. A sudden knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. When she answered the door, she found a man wearing a trench coat on the other side. "Can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am. I am looking for Paul Fulmer, is he home at the moment?" the man said with a slight Irish accent.

"I'm afraid not. I can tell him you stopped by mister," she said, trailing off.

"Maloy," he said. Lena's eyes widened and she slammed the door, locking it afterward.

She ran and woke up her daughter. "Hanna, honey, we need to go."

"Why, momma?" she said, rubbing her eyes. She saw the look on her mother's face. "What's wrong?"

"No time, just get your shoes and jacket," Lena said as she put on her coat. She rushed Hanna into their car, and Lena impatiently tapped on the steering wheel as the garage door lifted. She quickly put the car in drive and drove out of the building and into the street, tires screeching. Lena looked to the front yard and saw Richard Maloy raise a silenced M7 SMG. "Get down," she shouted, but it was too late as the rounds ripped into the cab.

After the car crashed into a pole, Lena groggily lifted her head off of the steering wheel. "Good-bye, Mrs. Fulmer," she heard before her world went black.

_**Location: SAF Military Installation #1587, Sangheilios**_

_**Date: Monday, September 18, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 08:25 hours**_

Paul was teaching a large class; 6 fireteams, a few nurses going to Earth, and a handful of civilians along with his own team. He was about to separate people into small groups to have full conversations when his PDA chimed. "You'll have to excuse me ladies and gentlemen, it seems that I'm needed for something urgent," he said. "Go ahead and get into your groups. 2nd Lieutenant 'Izak, you have the class."

"Thank you sir," Garek replied as Paul walked toward the door. "Alright," he started, addressing the class. "You heard the Captain, break into groups and begin." The soldiers complied instantly, while the civilians hesitated. "Please get into groups, this is a timed exercise." As the groups began chatting, Nazo quietly opened the door.

"Lieutenant?" he said. After Garek looked over, Nazo nodded his head toward the outside of the room.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Garek said once he was outside.

Nazo nodded. "Your fireteam is dismissed for today, Garek." He was still getting used to the Colonel using his given name.

"What's going on, Nazo?" he said, dropping formalities himself.

Nazo sighed and made sure no one was listening. "Captain Fulmer just received some disturbing news."

"Disturbing news?"

"You will have to ask him yourself, but...he may not talk to you."

"Where is he?"

"Still in my office. Go on, I'll take over the class." Garek nodded and thanked him before heading for the Colonel's office. When he reached the office, he quietly opened the door and found Paul standing in front of the window, leaning his head on the glass.

"Captain..."

"She's gone," Paul said without turning.

"Who is gone?" Paul simply took a ring off of his left hand and held it out to Garek. He recognized it as a human wedding band. "Captain, I-"

"Don't," Paul said. "I know who did this...and the bastard has my little girl."

Garek growled. _"Only a monster takes a child hostage," _he thought. "Captain...Paul...we _will_ get him. We will get him and end this madness."

"When?" Paul said bitterly. "When will enough be enough? How many families are they going to destroy before we know _anything _about a _possible _location?" Paul suddenly punched through the 4'' glass pane in the window and released a yell that would've made a Brute have second thoughts. He took a few slow breaths and ignored his bleeding hand. "Tell everyone to stay with their families and that we'll have classes over video links."

"Alright, I'll tell them." Garek paused at the door. "Oh, and Paul, you're always welcome in my home if you need somewhere to stay."

"I'll think about that," he mumbled as he made for the door himself.

"I'll tell the Colonel about his window," Garek said and let Paul exit. He swore he heard a quiet sob exit the human's mouth as he walked past. _"I hope he doesn't let this break him," _he thought as he sat down and waited.


	9. Chapter 8: Vicious Circle

_Chapter VIII: Vicious Circle_

_**Location: Home of Garek 'Izak & Shara 'Hesum, City-State of Tarasun**_

_**Date: Monday, September 18, 2558 **__**(UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 11:45 hours**_

"You're back early," Shara said when she heard Garek enter. "Oh, hello Paul...what is wrong?" Paul ignored her question and went to lie down in the same guest room he had used last time. After the door had closed, she looked over at Garek. "What happened?"

Garek sighed and sat down, patting the couch cushion next to him. "He lost his wife three days ago and just got the news today," Garek said quietly. "Not only that, they took his daughter."

"Have you talked to him?"

Garek slowly shook his head. "I tried. He's too angry to listen to anything, and don't waste your time," he said as she started to stand. "I am concerned about him, Shara. Not only as a subordinate, but as a friend. I fear he may be a broken man."

"You make it sound as if he's your brother."

"He does remind me of one of my brothers. Sometimes a little too much," he sighed.

"You didn't tell me that you had a second brother."

"He died a long time ago, on the planet they called Harvest." Shara put a hand on his shoulder, but he gently took it off. "I was just a child back then."

"Like a brother, huh?" a voice suddenly said. "I 'preciate it, man." Paul leaned heavily on the arch with a bottle of amber liquid; it had only been five minutes, and half of the bottle was gone. "Hey," he complained when Shara took the bottle from his grasp.

"Is this how you want to honor your wife's memory?" she said, indicating the bottle. She smacked his hand as he reached for the whiskey. "No. Drowning yourself in an amber sea will _not _wash the pain away."

"But-" Paul began, but Shara cut him off.

"Your family is not completely gone, remember? What about your daughter?" Paul suddenly slumped to the floor and put his head in his hands. "Come on," she said, helping him back into the guest room. It was an hour before she returned. "He is resting now."

"Will he be all right?" Garek said as he continued reading his book.

"I think he will," she said with confidence. "He talked about them, all the times they had before he went off to war." Garek nodded, but Shara saw the look in his eyes. "He will be fine," she assured. "He still has his daughter to think about."

Garek set the book down and sighed. "But will that be enough? Everyone has a breaking point, Shara. You may have seen some of it in medical wings, but I am a soldier. I have watched friends commit suicide on the spot after losing someone in a fight, some simply died inside; an empty husk. Others went berserk and blindly charged the enemy, committing suicide with 'honor'." Garek paused with a quiet scoff. "I just hope you're right."

As they sat down to eat, Paul walked into the kitchen; his eyes were red and puffy, but he had a small smile on his face. "Guten abend," he said.

"Guten abend, Kapitän," Garek replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Been better."

"Are we going to have any other classes or drills this week?" Garek said, changing the subject.

Paul rubbed his chin for a minute before answering. "No, I'll tell the others not to bother." Garek nodded and returned to his meal. Afterward, they quietly played a few hands of poker, but the evening was relatively uneventful.

_**Date: Sunday, October 14, 2558 **_

_**Local Time: 19:30 hours**_

"Time to go again already, eh?" Paul said as he cleaned his Colt at the dining room table.

"I suppose it is," Garek sighed. "Oh shit." Paul stopped and looked up from his work; he had _never _heard Garek curse.

"Did I just hear that?" Paul said rhetorically. "What's wrong, man?"

"I have yet to tell Shara that I'm leaving," he replied; Shara had given birth to their second daughter the day before.

Paul shrugged. "Don't worry about it, we'll stop by and see her." Paul then started laughing as he went back to cleaning the revolver.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Paul lied, unable to stop laughing. "Just you cursing like that...I don't know, it's funny to me."

"What did I say?" he said with confusion, making Paul laugh harder. He suddenly remembered and slapped a palm to his face. "Why is that funny?"

"I don't know," Paul said. "Just that word leaving your, er, mouth...I've never heard one of you guys say it, I guess."

"You have been around too many disciplined Sangheili like myself, then. Our...younger counterparts are not as reserved. For example, I know you remember that First Sergeant from the debriefing." Paul nodded as he worked. "After you were through with him, he went to the Colonel and complained. Well... old Nazo was _not _amused by his 'colorful' language."

Paul shook his head. "What did the Colonel do?"

"Extended his probation, demoted him back to Corporal, and now a female is his superior. Young E'ros was not happy. Oh, and Deza had her child last week." Garek chuckled. "He's so small...by our standards." Paul looked up and raised an eyebrow. "On average, a Sangheili newborn weighs about twenty pounds and stands at two-foot-three. J'on, the boy, weighed about thirteen pounds and stood at one-foot-seven." Garek paused for a moment and thought. "He also didn't have Deza's stripes. He will look just like Rotje, only with orange eyes."

"And I thought the Colonel was bad enough with those red eyes of his," Paul joked as he spun the cylinder and slapped it back into place.

"That is an odd color for our species. Hell, we all have odd colored eyes," Garek said, talking about their friends. "Shades like yellow-green, orange-red, maroon, azure; they are all rare colors to have."

"I guess we really are a motley crew," Paul said and shrugged. "But we're, perhaps, the _best _motley crew around. All we need is Shara back in our team, and we'll be complete."

"Indeed, but there are the children to consider. Someone has to take care of them." Garek suddenly remembered what had happened to Paul. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Paul said. "That's _my _problem, no one else's. I'm not about to bring my friends into it."

"But we are going after the people that did it."

"And it's only personal for one of us...no, two of us," Paul corrected himself, remembering Rotje. "And no, it's not going to be a problem," he finished as Garek was about to speak again. Garek sighed and began loading his magazines with ammunition.

_**Location: Room 382, Tarasun Medical Ward**_

_**Date:Monday, October 15, 2558 **_

_**Local Time: 05:45 hours**_

Shara looked up from her child when a nurse walked into the room. "Some people are here to see you."

Shara smiled and nodded. "Send them in." A moment later, Garek and Paul walked into the room. "Good morning, love. And the same to you, Paul."

"Ma'am," the human stated shortly, clearly having more important things on his mind.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Garek whispered to her. She shook her head slowly, but suddenly looked at Paul.

"I have a question to ask you," she said, beckoning him over. When he leaned in, she whispered something into his ear that Garek didn't catch.

Paul straightened back up and thought for a while, then nodded. "Yes."

"Lena," she said. Garek looked over at Paul, who smiled sadly.

"It's a good name," Garek said. "May I?" Shara handed him the child. "So, you are Lena, my second daughter." He then said something that neither of them understood. When he noticed both looking at him, he darkened slightly. "It was a birthing right, said in a tongue used only in my family." He handed the sleeping girl back and sighed, sitting down beside the bed. "I am afraid I have some bad news, Shara," he whispered.

"I noticed the uniforms," she said with a slight shrug. "I have already spoken with Deza. I will take Esa over there and stay until you get back." Garek nodded slowly.

"That wasn't _the_ bad news," Paul suddenly said. "We don't know how long we're going to be gone on this op. We don't even know what we're doing or where we'll be doing it." Paul checked his watch. "I hate having to do this, but we need to go, Garek. The Colonel wanted everyone gathered before 0700." Paul left the room and gave the two some privacy.

Garek sighed. "Sometimes...I hate being a soldier."

"No, you just hate saying good-bye," Shara retorted.

Garek chuckled. "That too." He paused. "I just hope it's not the last."

"Don't talk like that," she chided. "You get like this every time you have to go. Have you said good-bye to Esa yet?"

"Yes, before we left the house this morning. She cried this time...maybe that's why I am brooding this morning; I hate seeing her like that."

"Every parent does, it's normal. Now go on, you have some work to do."

He kissed the top of her head, as he always had done when he left for active duty. "I'llbe back."

_**Location: SAF Military Installation #1587, Main Courtyard **_

_**Local Time: 07:00 hours**_

"Attention," Paul shouted from the front of the formation when the Colonel approached. He stepped forward and saluted as the sound of boots slapping together echoed through the courtyard. "Everyone is here and ready to go, sir."

Nazo formally returned the salute. "At ease," he called to the formation and nodded. "Good, Captain. I'm afraid that I am needed elsewhere this morning, so here are each teams' orders." He handed Paul a data pad. "You have the formation."

"Yes sir, thank you." Paul turned to the gathered soldiers. "Alright, listen up! Are you listening?"

"Yes sir!"

"Very good. Will each squad leader please step foward and receive their orders?" He saw E'ros step foward, "I said squad leaders, Corporal. Get back in line." The young Sangheili grumbled something and turned back. "Corporal 'Asar, front and center! Right now, Corporal," Paul said impatiently as he froze mid-step. E'ros quickly got in front of Paul and stood at attention. "You want to repeat that? Loud enough for everyone to hear," Paul ordered as he shot a glance to the side when he heard a Sangheili female stifle a laugh. "We don't have all day, kid."

"I said 'This is bullshit', sir," E'ros mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you."

"This is bullshit," he repeated.

"Is it, now? Corporal, your probation has been extended and you're to stay behind when the teams leave on theirs assignments. Do you understand?"

E'ros hung his head. "Yes sir."

"God dammit, Corporal," Paul said in frustration. "I'm up here."

E'ros looked him in the face. "Yes sir."

"Better. Report to Colonel 'Bezat for your orders, now get the hell out of my sight." E'ros saluted, but Paul didn't return it. "Go!" Paul sighed and shook his head as E'ros walked off with his head hanging again. "Alright, where is Foxtrot's CO?"

"Right here, sir," the woman who laughed earlier said. "Staff Sergeant Ahli 'Asar."

Paul paused before handing her a small chip. "Here you are, ma'am. You're on the _Shadow of Intent _with my team."

"Yes sir," she said and gathered her team.

_**Location: Loading Bay, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Local Time: 09:00 hours**_

"Captain, we meet again," Rtas said as the two fireteams stepped off of their Phantom. "And I see you are not working alone this time."

"That's right. That's Fireteam Foxtrot and Staff Sergeant 'Asar, their leader," Paul said, indicating the three Sangheili.

"I see. Where is your fourth man, Staff Sergeant?" Rtas said.

"He stayed behind, Shipmaster. Punishment for insubordination," she explained. "My team is more than capable without him."

Rtas nodded. "Captain, you know where your quarters are. Would you please show Foxtrot to theirs?"

"Yes sir. I take it you already have our location?" Paul said before leaving.

"That I do. I understand you grew up in this place?"

"Yes sir, Germany. We'll be working out of the Black Forest looking for a recently formed terrorist cell."

"I see you brought civilian vehicles again. Another undercover operation?"

"Partly," Paul answered as they walked out of the loading bay. "The Staff Sergeant and I will be meeting with a contact in the city of Aachen for the details. Only off-road vehicles this time, though...I heard you have a few Warthogs on hand?"

"We do. You will have to speak with I-Company's new commanding officer from the 349th about that," Rtas said. "I suggest you send the Staff Sergeant for that task...he does not like humans."

"Noted," Paul said. "Go ahead and take care of that, ma'am." Ahli nodded and walked a different direction.

"She does not outrank you, but you call her ma'am as if she does," Rtas commented. "Why?"

"Just a habit, I guess. I've always called women ma'am until we get on a first name basis," Paul shrugged. "Anyway, how's your friend doing?"

Rtas smiled. "Just fine. We have gotten closer over the past month."

"That's good. I hope things work out for you two."

"And what of your family, Captain?" Rtas said.

Paul shook his head. "Another time, Shipmaster. Perhaps this evening in the mess hall?"

"I look forward to it. I will leave you now, I am needed on the Command Deck."

"Of course. Tell your friend I said hello."

"Perhaps you will be able to say it yourself this evening."

"Who is this friend you two were talking about?" Toma 'Ahur, a Private First Class from Foxtrot, said.

"Can't say, Private. I made an oath to the Shipmaster," Paul said. "Meet up with us this evening in the mess hall at around...oh, 1900 hours."

"I'll do that," Toma said and fell silent. After the group had entered their quarters to unpack, Garek pressed the door chime to Paul's room.

"Enter," Paul said over the intercom. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he said, "Ah, Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

"Formalities?" Garek said. Paul nodded his head toward the door, which was still open. Garek stepped further into the room and the door closed, Paul locking it afterward. "It's about the Shipmaster..."

"I can't say, Garek. If anyone's going to tell you, it has to be Rtas himself," Paul said. "How much do you know about him, personally?" he suddenly said, lying on his bed.

"Not a lot," Garek answered, sitting in the chair by Paul's desk. "When you say personally..."

"I mean personally. You know, private stuff," Paul said, looking over the datapad containing their mission details. Garek shrugged when he looked over.

"You're not going to tell me, are you? Not even being your second in command and friend?"

"Nope," Paul smirked. "You'll find out this evening. Rtas just sent me a message saying his friend will be there."

"Not even a hint?" Garek said, getting frustrated; he hated secrets.

"Nope," Paul repeated. "Surprises are more fun, my friend...well, in these cases they are."

"I hate surprises," Garek muttered, standing. "I'm going to check on the Staff Sergeant and get some breakfast."

"That sounds like a good idea, actually," Paul said. "I'll see you again in a few minutes."

Garek was about press the door chime for Field Marshall Talu 'Lour's quarters when an angry female stormed out. Garek gently grabbed her arm and stopped her. "What is wrong, Staff Sergeant?" he said, letting go.

"That bastard won't lend us the Warthogs," Ahli said.

"Why is that?"

"Why do you think?" she said, gesturing to her figure.

Garek sighed. "Come on."

"Enter," a gruff voice said over the intercom after Garek had pressed the door chime.

Garek confidently walked in while Ahli hesitated at the door. He sighed and turned back. "Come on," he repeated quietly.

"Who is out there?" Talu said suspiciously. He then saw Ahli walk through the door. "I told you already, woman. I can't lend you those vehicles."

"May I ask why?" Garek said.

"And you are?"

"2nd Lieutenant Garek 'Izak."

Talu began scrolling through the ship's crew roster. "You're not in my files. Are you new here?"

"No, I have served on this vessel for over six years." Garek frowned and paused. "It's vital that we get those vehicles...sir."

Talu sighed. "For what purpose?"

"I can't give you that information, sir. Strictly need-to-know basis," Garek said, getting frustrated.

"Well, I need to know, _Lieutenant_."

Garek walked over to the desk and keyed the intercom. "I need to speak with the Shipmaster. Tell him it is Lieutenant 'Izak."

_"What do you need, Lieutenant?"_

"Field Marshall 'Lour is being...troublesome," Garek answered. "He wants to know why we need those vehicles," he said, anticipating the next question.

_"Is he with you now?"_

"We're in his office."

_"Lend the vehicles, Field Marshall. They have orders not to tell anyone what they need them for."_

"May I at least know _who _I am lending my vehicles to?" Talu said impatiently.

_"Soldiers," _Rtas said shortly, then sighed. _"If you _must_ know, they are a part of that joint operations project. Just know that anything they ask for, they have the clearance to get it. Am I understood?"_

Talu looked up at Garek and Ahli, finally noticing that they wore uniforms and not armor. "Yes, Shipmaster."

Garek keyed the intercom again, turning it off. "Now...we need to two Warthogs, one troop carrier, the other with a turret," he demanded. "And an apology," he said after Talu laid the keys on the desk.

"For what?"

"I believe this young woman has been mistreated," he said, indicating Ahli. Talu scoffed and was about to say something, but was cut off by a knife being stabbed into the desk. "I do _not _have time to deal with stubborn asses like you. I was being nice before, but now I _demand_ you to apologize to this woman." Garek leaned over the desk and got in the Field Marshall's face. "No one will think twice if they find my blade in your chest," he whispered.

Talu paled. "I...I'm sorry," he stuttered.

Garek straightened and removed his knife from the desk. "Was that so difficult?" he said, sheathing the blade. "Thank you for the vehicles. Sir," he said over his shoulder as he walked out of the office.

Once outside, Ahli stopped him. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. Males like him make me sick," Garek said. "I assume you've dealt with people like him since Academy?"

Ahli shrugged. "Not really. There were a few, but I quickly put them in their place," she finished smugly. "Still, do you not think that was a little...extreme?"

"No," Garek said as he walked away.

_**Location: Mess Hall, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Ship Clock: 19:07 hours**_

"You did what?" Paul blurted as Garek told him what happened in the Field Marshall's office, receiving a few looks from nearby soldiers.

"I did what needed to be done," Garek sighed. "That bastard wouldn't have given us those vehicles had I not been there."

"I just wish I was there to see the look on his face," Paul said, pouring a glass of whiskey, then tipping the bottle toward Garek, who nodded.

"I wonder where the Shipmaster is," Garek thought aloud, taking his glass.

"Yeah, and the others," Paul agreed. "I told them to be here at seven." Just then, Ahli and Toma entered the mess hall, the former holding something to her head. "What happened?" he said when they sat down. Ahli simply removed the object from her head; an icepack, Paul realized. The left side of her face was bruised and swollen. "Jesus," he mumbled.

"Where is he?" Garek growled. "He will learn that I do _not_ make idle threats."

"He's in the medical wing," Toma said, smirking. "Ahli can handle herself."

"What's that smell?" Ahli said, putting the icepack back to her head. Garek and Paul simply held up their drinks. "If it's alcohol, pour me a drink." Paul shrugged and retrieved another glass from his case. "Thank you," she said as Rtas entered with another Sangheili.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Staff Sergeant," Rtas paused as he sat beside his companion. "What happened to you?"

"A fist happened," she said dryly. "You can ask Talu 'Lour in the medical wing if you want the details. Who is your friend, Shipmaster?" she finished, changing the subject.

"This is Counc-"

"Rtas," his companion said quietly, cutting him off. "We talked about this."

Rtas sighed. "Her name is Kara."

"Good evening, ma'am," Paul said. "How have you been?"

"I have been fine, Captain. How have things been with your family?"

"Not well, I'm afraid," Paul sighed. "I lost my wife last month...and my daughter," he trailed off, hanging his head.

"That must have been hard for you."

Paul nodded. "It was, at first. But, the good Lieutenant here helped me through it," he said, patting Garek on the shoulder. "Enough about that. I heard you had a surprise for us, Shipmaster?"

"Did I?" Rtas said, suddenly feeling a hand on his under the table. "Oh, right." He looked around and made sure he could say what needed to be said without too many people hearing. "Allow me to fully introduce my companion. Her name is Kara 'Cudas." Ahli and Toma looked at each other for a moment.

"You mean," Ahli began, but stopped.

"Yes," Rtas answered, knowing what she wanted to ask. "But that is not all." He looked over at Kara, who nodded. He leaned in, motioning for the others to do the same. "Kara, the councilor from Tarasun and myself," he paused, taking another glance around the room. "We are a couple."

Garek, Ahli, and Toma all blinked simultaneously while Paul simply smirked and took another drink from his glass. "How long?" Garek said after a few moments of silence.

"Six months," Rtas said. "You are the first to be openly told of our relationship."

"Congratulations," Paul said. "And when you say openly...?"

"There have been some...that were informed against our will," Rtas finished with a mumble.

"He means to say that we were caught," Kara said.

"Are you blushing, Shipmaster?" Garek snickered.

"He is embarrassed by it all. Like a young boy with his first female," Kara said slyly.

"I am not," Rtas said defensively, still slightly purple in the face.

"Ahem." They both looked at Paul, who gestured to the rest of the mess hall with his head. "Damn, Shipmaster. Blush any harder and it may become permanent," he whispered with a snicker.

Rtas sighed and put his head on the table. "I need a drink, something strong," he mumbled. Kara got up and returned with a pale-blue liquid, which Paul eyed strangely.

"The equivalent to...what was that drink?" Garek said. "Rum and...?"

"Rum and Coke, a soft drink, but those aren't strong," Paul said.

"He will drink a _lot_ of them," Kara said.

"Well, we're drinkin'. How 'bout some Poker?" Sean Bradley suddenly said, taking a seat at the table.

"You're late," Paul said bluntly, pouring the Irishman a glass.

"We were trying to find you," Ar'n said, Rotje, Alfred, and Cesar close behind.

"I told you all, mess hall at 1900 hours," Paul chided. "Wait...there's something you're not telling me," he said, grabbing the case containing the blank chips and cards. The five of them simply shrugged innocently in response. "I'm on to you."

"What's 'poker'?" Ahli and Toma said simultaneously.

"A card game. It's easy to play, really," Paul said, beginning to explain the rules. As Paul dealt the cards, he asked, "You said something about a Field Marshall being in the medical wing, Ahli?"

"I did," she nodded. "He's in a great amount of pain at the moment...and not just the physical kind."

"Not just physical?"

"Lets just say that his pride...as a male," she trailed off.

"Okay, now I gotta hear this," Sean said. "Great pain, both to his pride and his physical well-being...you didn't."

"Didn't what?" Ahli said innocently.

"Staff Sergeant," Rtas said sternly.

"Lets just say that I am better with my hands than the Field Marshall." Rtas crossed his arms. "Fine," she sighed. "To put it bluntly, I kicked his ass. Better?"

"I do not tolerate fist fights on my ship, Staff Sergeant."

"It was self-defense, you have my word on that," Ahli said, gesturing to her face.

"I will have a word with him later," Rtas sighed.

"No need, I will speak with the Field Marshall," Kara said. "Excuse me."

Rtas smiled as he watched her leave the mess hall. _"How did I get so lucky?"_

"Shipmaster, you're blushing again," Paul said from across the table.

"What?" Rtas shook his head; he had been looking at the closed door for more than five minutes.

"I said it's your turn," Paul said.

"Oh, right."

"It's alright, Shipmaster. I think everyone here has been in your situation at one point," Rotje said, looking at Garek.

"What?" Garek said. "That was six _years _ago, Rotje," he said with a sigh after remembering. "And, if I remember correctly, you didn't fare much better with Deza."

_**Location: Medical Wing 5-C aboard the Seeker of Truth, Fleet of Particular Justice**_

_**Date: Tuesday, August 29, 2552**_

"I can't believe this," Nazo mumbled angrily as he touched the stub where his lower right mandible used to be.

"Look at it this way, sir," Garek began from the foot of the bed. "At least you killed that human."

"I suppose," he grumbled. "I will give it some credit, though."

Tajo snorted. He had gotten the squad off of the planet; Reach, they had heard the humans call it. "Giving a human credit, Nazo? You best be careful who you say that around."

"You didn't see this human fight, my friend. I definitely underestimated his skill with a blade."

"It wasn't enough, however," Garek stated. "You had the upper hand from the start."

A doctor walked over and checked Nazo's chart. "You're cleared, sir," Deza said; she was the chief medical officer on the _Seeker of Truth_. She looked off to the side when she heard a commotion a few beds over. "Minor Domo 'Tsomee, must you be so difficult?" she said with a sigh.

Rotje immediately froze. "I'm not being-"

"Yes, you are. Do you want to reopen your wounds and make a mess of my medical wing?"

"No," he said quietly.

"Then stop," she said sternly. Rotje looked like he wanted to say something, but Deza had already moved on to the next soldier.

"He didn't say anything to her until _after _the first ring was destroyed," Garek said, finishing his flashback.

Paul chuckled. "Is your species just naturally awkward?"

"We are a warrior species, Captain. We are not romantics like you humans," Rtas said matter-of-factly.

"This ships history is telling me otherwise," Paul retorted, taking a drink. "What number is this? Five, six?"

"It's the eighth, if I'm remembering correctly," Rotje said. "A few of my remaining friends from I-company have gotten together."

"And you say you're not romantics," Alfred commented. "Anyway…..drink?"

Paul sighed and poured him a glass. "Where's your third man, Ahli?"

"Either resting or reading. He isn't very social, especially when it comes to humans," she said.

"Is he going to be a problem out in the field?"

"No. He's the exact opposite when he is working," she shrugged. "He's a soldier to the bone, I suppose." They all continued to socialize until late into the ship's Third Cycle before going their separate ways for the evening.


	10. Chapter 9: The Land of my Fathers

_Chapter IX: The Land of My Fathers_

_**Location: City of Aachen, Germany**_

_**Date: Thursday, October 18, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 08:25 hours**_

Paul and Ahli quietly sat in one of the booths located within the Aachen Cathedral. "When do you think he will be here?"

Paul checked his watch. "About five minutes." After Ahli sighed, "What is it?"

"It's cold in here," she answered, crossing her arms.

"Welcome to Germany on a mid-October morning, especially this close to the Alps," Paul said. "This building's architecture doesn't help, either." One of the large doors suddenly opened. "Don't turn around," he told her as she was about to turn her head.

"Mr. Fulmer?" a woman said quietly as she down next to him, facing the front.

"That's me," he replied. "I understand that you have some information miss…?"

"My name isn't important," she stated. "But, yes. I do have some information for you."

"One of those, eh?" he mumbled. "What do you have for us?"

The woman handed him a binder. "That contains everything you need to know, Mr. Fulmer."

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, handing her the proper amount of credits. "Lets go, Ms. 'Asar."

"Ms. 'Asar?" Ahli said after they were out in the street.

Paul, ignoring the looks that were sent Ahli's way, said, "When meeting with contacts, never exchange first names or your rank. Just a little rule I've lived by over the years." He walked over to a café window across the street and lightly tapped on the glass. "It's time to go," he said as the other members of his squad exited. "Where's Toma?"

"Still inside," Garek stated. Paul looked through the window and saw the Private First Class talking with a human woman at the counter. He rapped on the glass, making Toma look over. When Paul tapped on his watch, the Sangheili visibly sighed and nodded. They all watched as the woman handed him a small slip of paper.

"I like this place," Toma said as he exited the café, placing the piece of paper into a pocket.

"Making friends, I see," Ahli sighed. "We're not going to be here for very long, Toma."

"I'll come back some other time."

_**Location: The Black Forest, approximately 48 miles northeast of Schramberg, Germany**_

_**Date: Saturday, October 20, 2558**_

_**Local Time: 20:14 hours**_

The squad silently trudged through the forest on their way to the target. Paul held up a fist at the front of the small formation, signaling them to stop. "Alright Staff Sergeant, I want you to take Toma, Ar'n, and," he paused looking at the third, and fairly large, Sangheili in Ahli's squad. "And whoever you are." The Sangheili in question shrugged. "Alfred, Cesar, Rotje, you're with me; Garek, stay here, watch our backs. According to the info I got, their hideout is on the other side of this hill. Ahli, your group is going in through the back of the compound, here." Paul marked the spot on their HUDs. "We'll take the front. Knives and suppressors only until we're discovered, understood?" Everyone nodded. "Maintain comm silence. Let's go."

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Sergeant First Class**

**Name: Rotje 'Tsom**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 20:30 hours**

"Are you recording?" Captain Fulmer whispered.

"Yes," I replied.

"Stack up," the Captain ordered. I quickly got behind 2nd Lt. Madera and tapped him on the shoulder. The man nodded to Sgt. Trombley on the other side. "Go."

Madera and I quickly but quietly went through the door next to the front gate; I couldn't believe that it was unlocked. I quickly moved over to a sleeping guard and put a hand over his mouth as I unsheathed my blade. "Sorry about this, human," I whispered as the blade entered his heart from behind. "Clear," I whispered through the door.

"We'll hold here," the Captain said after we had found some cover in a dark corner. "Let's wait for the Staff Sergeant's signal."

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Specialist**

**Name: Q'to 'Ovus**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 20:30 hours**

"You could have just given him your name," SSgt. 'Asar whispered as I boosted Sgt. 'Drakos up to the wall of the terrorist compound.

I sighed as I checked my M6C SOCOM and MG4A2 SSW for the fifth time. "I don't even know him," I shrugged.

"You would if you were a little more social," PFC 'Ahur said, not turning away from the lock he was trying to pick. "Door's open."

"Wait here. Your ammo belts will make too much noise," SSgt. 'Asar ordered before entering the compound.

"Specialist," Sgt. 'Drakos whispered from the top of the wall. He extended his hand down as I looked up. "You can help me keep watch up here."

I accepted and climbed the wall to join him. "Where do you want me?"

"That tower," he pointed. "It should give you the perfect position for that machine gun in case things go bad."

I nodded and crouch-ran along the top of the wall. _"She was right," _I thought, hearing the belts of 7.62x51mm ammunition clink together as I moved. I activated the green light on my HUD, telling my team that I was in position.

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Sergeant First Class**

**Name: Rotje 'Tsom**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 20:40 hours**

I watched as Captain Fulmer looked at his watch and sighed. "What is taking them so long?" Suddenly, an explosion echoed from across the compound, and the alarm sounded.

"I guess that answers that question," I shouted over the noise. "Was that the signal?"

The Captain nodded. "Watch for crossfire, let's go!"

I chuckled and removed the silencer from my BR55A3, switching to three-round burst afterward. "This is my favorite part," I mumbled

The Captain held up a fist as he looked around the corner of a building that served as our cover. _"Warning! Intruders are in the compound!" _I almost couldn't hear the speakers over the fire of a machine gun posted in the tower in the south-eastern corner. I was about to fire on it when the Captain stopped me. "That's ours! See the rounds? They're cyan tracers! Only we have those!"

I shrugged and focused on the enemies pouring out of their bunkhouses. I paused when I heard the unmistakable sound of catapillar tracks. "What the hell is that?" I said when it lumbered into view; it wasn't a M808B Scorpion.

"It's a Leopard 3, they must have rebuilt some of them," Sgt. Trombley shouted. "We need to get out of here, sir! I don't have any AT gear!"

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Sergeant**

**Name: Ar'n 'Drakos**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 20:45 hours**

"Enemy armor," I shouted down to the others and pointed. I watched the turret slowly point to the tower that held SPC 'Ovus. I began running over to the tower, killing three of the enemy force as I went. "Specialist, get the hell out of there," I shouted from the bottom of the ladder. I was knocked off my feet as the explosion from an HE shell hit the tower. I groaned and held my head as I sat up, blinking several times at a blurry object sitting in front me. "What?" It seemed to be trying to tell me something.

"I said, that was _too_ close," SPC 'Ovus shouted again as my ears stopped ringing. "You're bleeding!"

I looked at myself, not seeing any blood. "Where?" I said, feeling for wounds. I suddenly felt something warm run down my neck. I put a hand to one of my earholes, and it came back stained purple. "I'm fine. It's just from the concussion of that blast."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and slowly got to my feet, still holding my head. "Gods, it feels like someone took a gravity hammer to my skull. Where is my rifle?" Not finding it, I sighed and pulled out my M6C and knife, holding them in a CQC stance that the Captain had shown us.

"Here," SPC 'Ovus said, holding out a few magazines. "You're going to need them more than I will. We should regroup with the Staff Sergeant."

I nodded and jumped down to ground level, SPC 'Ovus following close behind. "Go in front of me, I'll watch your back." He nodded and ran over to the corner of a bunkhouse, looking for enemies.

As soon as his head went around the corner, rounds impacted the wall. "Shit," he hissed, rubbing some small cuts on the left side of his face.

I pulled him back, switching places. I crouched down and retrieved a small mirror from my kit. Making sure that my hand would be in a shadow, I edged it around the corner. "Damn it. That tank has us pinned." I looked over to the Specialist, quickly coming up with a plan. "Do you have any smoke grenades?"

He quickly set down his MG and dug through his grenade pouch. "Just this one."

I pointed to the mirror. "Roll it directly under the treads, I'll take care of the rest." I opened a comm channel to Captain Fulmer. "I know you said comm silence, but this is important."

A sigh came through my earpiece. _"Go ahead, Sergeant."_

"I'm going to secure that tank."

"_Do you have a death wish?"_

"Just trust me on this. You will know what's going on when you see it." I closed the comm link and nodded to the Specialist. He pulled the pin on the grenade and tossed it underhanded towards the tank.

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: 2nd Lieutenant**

**Name: Garek 'Izak**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 20:45 hours**

I quickly looked up from my scope as the explosion echoed across the field and through the trees. I went back to the 15x lens and searched for Sgt. 'Drakos and SPC 'Ovus once the smoke had cleared. "Ar'n, you stupid bastard," I sighed as I watched him sit up with his hands on his head. I adjusted my view as they disappeared behind a building and took out an enemy sniper.

I was surprised when Sgt 'Drakos' voice came through my earpiece. _"I know you said comm silence, but this is important."_

"_Go ahead, Sergeant."_

"_I'm going to secure that tank."_

"_Do you have a death wish?"_

"_Just trust me on this. You will know what's going on when you see it."_

Captain Fulmer sighed again as the link went dead. _"Garek, keep an eye on him."_

"Already watching," I whispered, but shook my head as a smoke grenade went off. "Or not…" I just caught a glimpse of an armored Sangheili boot step around a corner before disappearing in the cloud. I was about to switch positions when I felt cold steel touch the back of my head.

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice said in German.

I slowly reached for my knife. "I am just a hunter," I replied, covering the sound of the blade leaving its sheath.

"A hunter wearing full military gear and wielding a .50 caliber rifle," the man deadpanned. "You must think I'm stupid."

"You could say that." I quickly turned around, slapping the rifle from his hands, causing it to go off. "You should have just shot me," I said with a nasty snarl, briefly surprising myself. He gasped as the blade penetrated a lung.

I wiped the blood away as the life left his eyes, looking over the body for any form of intelligence afterward; documents, data chips, an ID, anything. I shook my head quickly when I found his ID card, not believing what I saw. I put the card away and scanned over the mans weaponry, not recognizing his rifle _or_ sidearm; both seemed to be rather old in design.

I turned back to the compound, noticing that the tank had gone quiet. I peered through myscope and chorlted as I watched Sgt. 'Drakos climb from the turret. "Stupid _and _crazy," I muttered. "Just like the rest of us…"

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Private First Class**

**Name: Toma 'Ahur**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 20:50 hours**

I looked briefly to the hillside we had entered the area from after hearing a gunshot; the compound had gotten relatively quiet. "That wasn't the Lieutenant's rifle," I stated.

"How can you tell?" SSgt 'Asar said incredulously.

"I had the best hearing in my class at Academy. Trust me, I can tell."

The SSgt was about to protest when 2nd Lieutenant 'Izak's voice came over the comm link. _"I've been compromised, switching positions." _I tilted my head smugly as the SSgt shook her own and walked through a doorway, checking a bunkhouse.

"Toma, get in here," she called. "This door is locked."

I nodded and swapped my MA5K Carbine for the M90 shotgun strapped to my back. I blasted the hinges off, but the door remained standing. I quickly reloaded as SSgt 'Rasar got beside the door.

"Do it," she said, pulling out a flashbang. I nodded and kicked the door down, quickly getting on the side opposite her. She tossed the grenade inside and waited for it to go off. She nodded her head toward the door, telling me to go first after the blast.

"Drop your weapons," I shouted in German, seeing insurgents on the other side rubbing their eyes or holding their hands over their ears. One raised his rifle sluggishly in defiance, but a pistol shot rang out, and he fell to the floor. I looked over and saw the SSgt lower her M6D, MA5C rifle hanging loosely across her torso by the sling.

"Idiot," she mumbled. "Put your weapons on the ground," she said calmly, as I slowly pointed my M90 around the room, they quickly complying and putting their hands on their heads. "Outside, single file line," she ordered. One spat on my boots as he passed. I moved to strike him, but SSgt 'Asar shook her head. "You will only encourage them," she said in our native tongue.

I sighed and began looking around the room after she walked out with the prisoners. As I stepped into the center of the room, the floor creaked loudly. "Hmm," I said, leaning my shotgun against a desk. I took out my sidearm, a M6C, activated the flashlight on the barrel, and moved the rug, finding a trap door underneath. I walked back outside, finding the squad patting down the prisoners sans Captain Fulmer and Sgt. 'Drakos, who were arguing beside the tank. "Captain, sir," I called.

"What is it, Private?" he said, still glaring at 'Drakos.

"We should check each bunkhouse. I found a trap door in this one."

He nodded. "Get in there and help him, Ar'n."

Sgt. 'Drakos nodded and ran over. "Give me your rifle."

I handed it over saying, "What happened to yours?"

"I lost it when the tank hit that tower," he shrugged. "You go first."

I nodded and dropped through the hole, the light on my shotgun illuminating the damp tunnel. "Clear. There's a light down the tunnel."

"Go on, I'm right behind you."

We both had to switch to our handguns and crawl as the tunnel's ceiling got too low. "Weapons cache," I said when I reached the end. "And another tunnel...one we can stand in."

"Go check it out, I'll document this."

I nodded and walked further, the strong smell of blood filling the air. "Ugh," I gagged as I continued on; it reeked. I froze when I reached the end. "By the Gods," I mumbled, quickly turning around and walking out.

"What is it?" Sgt 'Drakos said as I passed, but I didn't answer.

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Sergeant**

**Name: Ar'n 'Drakos**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 21:15 hours**

"What is it?" I said as PFC 'Ahur passed; he looked ill. Not receiving an answer, I followed him back outside to find him retching from the building's steps. "Toma, what did you see?" The PFC simply shook his head and slumped to the ground, gaze averted. Sensing that I wasn't going to get an answer, I went back to look for myself. Ignoring the strong scent of old blood as I reached the end of the tunnel, I saw them; eight cells, each stained a dark purple, Sangheili blood. I quickly checked each cell, finding that most of them were empty. I stopped as I looked into the last one, seeing its occupant. "Shit…"

A small pair of golden-amber eyes looked up at me tiredly. "Hello," the child said hoarsely.

"Hey there, youngling," I said softly, kneeling down. "I'm here to take you away from this wretched place." The child stood and walked over to the bars. "What is your name?"

"Ehta 'Yuros," she replied with more strength. "You're getting me out of here?"

I nodded. "That I am. I'll be back very soon, I must report this to my superior." The child nodded and stood patiently behind the door.

"Captain, there is something you should know," I said, ignoring the hateful stares from the prisoners as I approached. "We _really _need to check the other buildings," I whispered urgently.

"Why do you say that?" he said seriously. "What did you find?"

I turned my gaze to the prisoners as I replied, "A child."

"Could you repeat that, Sergeant? I believe I had something crazy in my ear," 2nd Lt. Madera said from a few feet away.

"A child," PFC Toma 'Ahur growled. "These bastards have been taking children!" I watched as he picked up one of the prisoners by the collar and pushed him against the wall. "What's the matter, human? Are you afraid now that someone can fight back?" he snarled, seeing the fear in the man's eyes. As the PFC went back to punch the prisoner, a kick struck him in the back of his right leg.

"Enough," Captain Fulmer said. While the PFC was still kneeling, the Captain removed his combat helmet and hit him with it. "These assholes may have taken children and done God-knows-what, but you're no better if you beat an unarmed prisoner to death." He stood the PFC up and pushed him against the wall. "Now fall in line!"

"Yes sir," he mumbled as he rubbed his face, obviously impressed by the Captain's strength. I heard a few of the prisoners snicker.

"Shut up," Captain Fulmer ordered, roughly handing the helmet back. "You're all lucky that I'm a generous person, otherwise I would have you executed where you stand!" He opened his comm link and spoke. "Garek, get a Warthog down here."

"_Do I even want to ask why?"_

"No, you don't."

"_Yes sir, I'll be there as soon as I can."_

"Specialist," Captain Fulmer called.

"Sir!"

"You're going with the Lieutenant to get the second Warthog when he's finished here." Captain Fulmer sighed. "What's your name, Specialist?"

"Yes sir. Q'to 'Ovus is my name," he said, thumping a fist to his chest.

The Captain returned the gesture. "Alright Q'to, go check the other buildings until the Lieutenant arrives."

"Yes sir," he answered and ran to the nearest bunkhouse.

"Ar'n, go get the kid out of there."

I nodded and turned to the prisoners. "Who is in charge around here?" I said in German. As I scanned the line, I saw a man raise his cuffed hands. "Where are the keys to those cells?"

"I'm not telling you-"

"Just answer the damn question," I interrupted.

"Tell it, Tomas. I don't think we should make it angry," one of the younger prisoners whispered.

"In the main office, over there," Tomas pointed. "Top middle drawer of the desk, it has all of the keys."

"Thank you. Now, how hard was that?" I said. The Captain nodded in acceptance as I passed by.

"You're back," the child, Ehta, said excitedly as I looked through the keys.

"That I am," I said, unlocking the door, chuckling as she hugged my legs. After she let go, I knelt down. "I have a question to ask you, child. Do you know where your parents might be?"

"They are dead," she said simply. I tilted my head, so she continued, "They have been gone for over a year. I was living with a human woman before," she paused to gaze at the walls with disgust. _"This_."

"And where is this female?"

"She lives in Aachen," she replied as we walked outside. "The lady runs a café across from the Cathedral there."

I felt my mandibles twitch, thinking of our short stay in the city two days before. "Light skinned, black hair, brown eyes?"

She nodded. "How did you know?"

I smiled and looked at PFC 'Ahur, who was still fuming against the wall. "Go talk with him, Toma is his name." She quickly ran over to the PFC and got his attention, asking him something that I couldn't hear. I watched as he frowned and pulled out the small slip of paper he had received, showing it to her. She looked at it and quickly nodded.

"Is that the child?" SFC 'Tsom said from my side.

"That's the one," I answered with a slight nod. "It doesn't look like they have laid a hand on her."

"You're right," he agreed. "No bruises, cuts, no signs of any mistreatment. Odd."

"You, human," I pointed at the one named Tomas. "When did you find this child?"

"Her?" he said. "A couple of days ago. Why do you ask?"

"I am just curious as to why you think it's okay to kidnap children….of any kind."

"They go for big money in the slave markets," he replied with a shrug.

Captain Fulmer noticed the feral look in my eyes, and stepped in front of me. "Ar'n, go with the Lieutenant." I nodded and walked over to the Warthog, but not before kicking that pathetic man in the stomach.

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: 2****nd**** Lieutenant**

**Name: Garek 'Izak**

**Date: 20/10/2558**

**Local Time: 21:30 hours**

I sighed and shook my head from the driver's seat of the Warthog as the human prisoner doubled over and coughed up blood on the ground. "Ar'n," I began, but he cut me off.

"Shut up. You have no idea what we found in there," he spat as he climbed into one of the rear seats. I was about to ask what they had found when the answer suddenly jumped into the passenger seat next to me. I looked back at the Sergeant, who just nodded.

"Well, hello," I said. "What's your name?"

"Ehta 'Yuros," the child responded.

"Pleased to meet you, Ehta. I am Garek 'Izak."

We both looked back as PFC 'Ahur and SPC 'Ovus climbed into the back. "Get me away from this place," the PFC sighed.

I activated my comm. "Sean, are you ready?"

"_I'm always ready, Lieutenant."_

I turned to Ehta as I put the vehicle in gear. "Have you ever ridden in a Falcon before?" She tilted her head. "It's a human military vehicle; it has two rotors on the top and it can fly." Her eyes shone at the mention of flight. "You like flying?"

"Yes. My father was a pilot."

"Was?"

"He passed away last year."

"Hmm. And what of your mother?" I said as we rode down the gravel road.

"She's gone as well. Father told me she passed away giving birth."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be. I like the human woman I live with. She owns a café in Aachen."

"Is that so?" I said, looking in the rearview mirror at PFC 'Ahur. "Well Ehta, you're going to be reunited with her very soon." I looked over briefly and smiled when I saw that she had fallen asleep. _"She must be able to sleep anywhere if she can do so in this awful thing," _I thought as the vehicle hit several potholes in the road.

_**Location: Command Deck, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Date: Sunday, October 21, 2558**_

_**Ship Clock: 01:12 hours**_

"And you found a child?" Rtas said, leaning foward in his seat. "What about the bodies?"

"I believe that they were burned, Shipmaster," Paul said, pulling a jar of ashes from his pack. "Fortunately, the child was unharmed."

Rtas nodded. "Indeed. What of the prisoners?"

"We had to wait for the UNSC to show up and take them. Now that there isn't a war on their hands, they're slacking," he finished with a chuckle. "Are we dismissed? We're all very tired."

Rtas nodded. "Helm, set a course and give the construct control. Once that is done, you may all get some rest." All of the officers nodded their thanks and called the replacement officers for the upcoming shift. Rtas removed his helmet and rubbed his head tiredly. "Rest well, gentlemen," he said as Paul's squad stood at attention. Rtas sighed. "Do I need to say it?" The soldiers didn't move. "You are dismissed, Captain," he said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, sir. Let's go," Paul said. "Oh, and you rest well too, Shipmaster. See you in a few hours."

While he slept, Paul had a strange dream. _"What is this?" _he thought as he watched a Sangheili infant sleeping. The child's eyes snapped open to reveal brown eyes.

"_You need to get Hanna back," _it said in a familiar voice.

"_Lena?"_

The infant smiled and nodded. _"Once you find her Paul, I want you to move on. Do you understand?"_

Paul sighed. _"I don't know if I can."_

_"You can, Paul. I know you can."_

Paul woke with a start and looked around his quarters. "A full eight hours, eh?" he said to himself as he looked at the clock, seeing that it was 0930. He quickly went through his morning routine and walked to the mess hall. "Morning," he said as he took a seat.

"Good morning, Captain," Rtas said. "I was just discussing the mission recordings with your squadmates. Interesting footage."

"I haven't looked over it yet," Paul sighed. "I only need to view the footage from Ar'n and…"

"Q'to," the Sangheili said as he sat at the table.

"Glad to see you decided to join us, Specialist," Rtas said.

Q'to shrugged. "I never miss breakfast."

"Yes, but you always eat alone," Ahli said, sitting next to him.

"I just prefer to keep to myself," Q'to retorted.

"You go a little further than just 'keeping to yourself'," Ahli huffed. "You're always alone and you never talk unless we're out in the field."

"I am talking to you right now." Paul, Garek, Rtas, and Rotje all shared knowing glances.

"Please, keep it to yourselves?" Paul said as they began to argue.

"Paul, I just remembered," Garek began. "I found this while we were on the ground." He placed the ID card face down on the table.

Paul picked it up, flipped it around, and dropped it as if it were made of acid. "No. No-no-no-no," he said quickly. "This can't be."

Rtas looked at the card. "Paul Fulmer…."

"Paul Fulmer senior. I thought that bastard was dead," Paul mumbled.

"Bad blood?" Rtas said.

"You could say that."

"Shipmaster, I-" Talu 'Lour suddenly began, but stopped when he saw who else was seated at the table. "No one told me there were humans on board," he growled softly.

Rtas could hear Paul's knuckles crack from clenching his fists so hard. "Is there a problem, Field Marshall?" he said impatiently.

"It's just that they are hu-" Talu was cut off by Paul standing up and pulling down on his armor, bringing his face to Paul's height.

"Listen, asshole. If you have a problem with humans, then you have a problem with me," he said, his accent suddenly becoming very strong. It got deathly quiet in the mess hall as everyone stopped eating and looked over at the commotion. "You, me, sparring ring, 1400 hours."

"I will be there, human," Talu growled.

Paul nodded and shoved him away, taking a seat at the table afterwards. "Are you sure that was a good idea, Captain?" Rtas said. "He is the best hand-to-hand fighter on this ship, undefeated."

"_Officially _undefeated," Ahli murmured, crossing her arms.

"Then he hasn't fought with me," Paul stated, ignoring her comment.

"As if being humiliated by a female wasn't enough for him, now he is going to be beaten by a human," Toma said thoughtfully. "You have my vote, Captain." The other Sangheili sans Rtas nodded; they had to fight Paul hand-to-hand before as part of their training.

"If all of you have such confidence in Captain Fulmer, then it will be quite the match," Rtas said, standing. "Good luck."

Paul smirked as the Shipmaster walked away. "He has no idea, does he?" The others at the table shook their heads. "Quite the match, indeed…"


	11. Chapter 10: On The Rise

_Chapter X: On the Rise..._

_**Location: Sparring Arena, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Date: Sunday, October 21, 2558 **__**(UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Ship Clock: 13:55 hours**_

Paul patiently stood in the ring and waited for Talu 'Lour as other Sangheili began filing into the room to watch. "I see that word spreads quickly," he called to the crowd, receiving a few chuckles; most on board who knew him liked the Captain.

"You've got this, Cap'n," Sean Bradley called from their group in the stands.

"We will see about that," Talu suddenly stated, entering the ring in his full armor.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "We're fighting hand-to-hand, Field Marshall. No armor."

Talu shrugged and removed the pieces. Once he was down to the body suit, he entered a fighting stance, Paul doing likewise; he was wearing his BDU pants and a tan t-shirt. "Strange apparel for a sparring match," Talu commented.

"Not for me. I'm a soldier, I fight in this every day," Paul shrugged. "Call it!"

They both charged as soon as the chime sounded. Talu threw a punch which Paul dodged, taking the opportunity to trip Talu onto his belly. _"He is toying with me," _Talu thought as Paul immediately backed off, letting him stand. They circled each other for a few moments before Talu spun for a kick. He was surprised Paul caught his leg, delivered three quick punches to his abdomen, then kicked his other leg out from under him, causing him to back-flop onto the mat.

"Tell me, Field Marshall. You are undefeated in this ring, yes?" Paul said as Talu stood.

"Definitely _toying with me," _he thought as they circled each other again. "That is correct, human. And so I shall remain after this match."

Paul chuckled. "Arrogance. Isn't it grand?" he said sarcastically.

Talu growled and charged, attempting to tackle, but Paul dodged and kicked him in the back of his legs, causing him to kneel. Paul quickly landed a blow with his knee in Talu's abdomen, landing a punch to the side of the temple afterward. When Talu awoke a minute later, he saw a blurry form standing over him. After blinking several times, he saw that it was the human, Captain Fulmer, standing there with his hand extended down to him. Talu growled and ignored the offer, deciding to stand without help. As he moved to walk away, he heard a voice call, "Not so fast, Field Marshall!" He turned around, seeing Rtas standing in the ring with his arms crossed. "I believe that you are forgetting something."

Talu looked over at the human, expecting to see a smug expression or arrogant grin, but a blank expression met his gaze. He sighed and walked back to the ring. He bowed to the human and formally stated, "You have bested me..."

"Captain Paul Fulmer," the man answered, returning the bow. "It was an honor to be pitted against you, Field Marshall."

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Rtas said as they both straightened.

Paul shrugged. "It part of my training as a UNSC Ranger. I just so happened to excel in the hand-to-hand portion." He then extended his hand to Talu. "If you don't mind, I would like to teach your men this form of hand-to-hand combat."

"Actually, Captain," Rtas began before they could shake hands. "It would be excellent if you could teach a class aboard this ship, strictly voluntary."

Paul nodded. "What do you guys think?" he said to his squadmates, receiving nods of approval. "Shipmaster, may I?" When Rtas tilted his head, Paul whispered something to him.

Rtas nodded. "You may."

"Attention!" Everyone straightened, even officers that would outrank him. Paul turned to Garek and smirked, then signaled for his squad to stand with him. "At ease," he said with a laugh. "By show of hands, how many would like to attend this course?" Paul counted fifty volunteers, most of which were lower-ranking infantry. "Those who raised their hands, please get into groups of ten." After they had done so, "Group 1, you're under my supervision, Group 2 is with 2nd Lieutenant 'Izak, Group 3, Sergeant First Class 'Tsom, Group 4, Sergeant 'Drakos, and Group 5, 2nd Lieutenant Madera. The officers are going to receive advanced training so that they may pass on their knowledge if they like. Field Marshall," Paul began, but noticed that Talu had left. He shrugged and turned back to his group. "Okay everyone, get with a partner. I'm warning you now, if you get angry with your partner, or are needlessly violent, you _will _be removed. No excuses, no exceptions."

_**Ship Clock: 17:00 hours**_

Talu sighed and rubbed the side of his already-bruised head as he sat down. "Beaten by someone below myself in rank; a human, no less," he said to himself.

"There is no shame in losing, Field Marshall," Rtas suddenly said from the doorway. Talu tiredly looked up at the Shipmaster; his head was still swimming from Paul's punch to his temple. "It is a sacrifice we all make as soldiers, a debt that all men pay."

"Why are you in a uniform, Shipmaster?" Talu said. "Are you one of them?"

"I _am_ the Supreme Commander of the TRF," Rtas replied simply.

"What is the 'TRF'?"

"The Tactical Response Force, better known as 'Project: Phoenix'. As you may have already figured out, it is a Joint Operations task force comprised of Sangheili and Human squads; Captain Fulmer's being among the best so far. Staff Sergeant 'Asar's has also proven to be highly skilled."

"How can you stand to work with..._them_?" Talu said quietly.

Rtas raised a brow. "They are not that bad. Some have proven to be…difficult, but some of our people are not much better," he said, glaring at Talu. "It has been six _years _since the Schism, and you are acting as if it has been six minutes. And do not give me that 'they are weak' nonsense; I believe that Captain Fulmer just showed you otherwise in the sparring ring."

Talu sighed. "That he did," he agreed, rubbing his head. "It was not that hard of a blow, how did he knock me out?"

"He hit a pressure point just above your temple. If you would have stayed, you could have found that out for yourself," Rtas said, crossing him arms. "If you still think that these humans are weak, watch these recordings," he said, placing some small chips on the desk and walking out. Talu picked one up and stared at it for a few minutes before retrieving his datapad. He sat back in his chair and watched as PFC Toma 'Ahur's recording began to play.

_**Local Time: 19:00 hours**_

"That was amazing, Captain," Q'to said as he watched the recording that Ar'n had taken of the sparring match.

Paul shrugged as he looked over his cards. "It would've been more challenging if he weren't so arrogant," he said, glancing up from his hand.

"I don't understand this game," Ahli sighed.

"It's really simple, Ahli. I'm out," Rotje said, placing his cards on the table. Ahli sighed and motioned to Paul for a drink.

"Bradley, get the woman a drink," he said. "Let's make this a little more interesting." Everyone looked over at Paul, who smirked slightly. "Any time someone goes out, they have to take a shot." Sean nodded and put some shot glasses on the table; four regular sized and six larger ones for the Sangheili.

Garek raised a brow as Paul placed a bottle of Q'osa, Sangheilian whiskey, on the table. "Where did you get that?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" Paul said as Rtas sat at the table. "Oh, good evening Shipmaster."

"Captain," Rtas said. "Using my gift to you for games, I see."

"Yes sir. You're sure I'll be able to drink this without it killing me, right?" Paul said. When Rtas simply nodded, he continued, "Alright, lets play."

Ahli sighed as she drank down another shot. Paul, Rtas, and Garek smirked; they had had the fewest number of drinks so far. "No more," she said with a slight slur. "I am done." She pushed her chips away a laid her head on the table. "I hate you guys so much."

"I, however, do not," Ar'n said. "I love whiskey."

"If you do not eat something now, you will hate it in the morning," Rtas said. "I fold."

"And then there were two," Garek said, looking up at Paul.

"Think again," Paul said, laying his cards on the table.

Garek sighed, picking up his glass. "It's late. I am going to rest now." Everyone agreed; they had been at the table for nearly four hours.

_**Date: Monday, October 22, 2558**_

_**Ship Clock: 07:30 hours**_

Ar'n groaned as he opened his eyes, immediately squeezing them shut from the light above his bunk. "I told you," Rtas said.

"Why are you in my quarters?" Ar'n grumbled.

"To say that I told you so," Rtas stated. "And, you have drills to run this morning."

Ar'n sighed and rubbed his eyes, rolling onto his side afterward. "I'll be there in five."

"You were _supposed_ to be there half an hour ago."

"Can you get out so I can get ready?" Ar'n said. "I... am not decent."

"I am not leaving this room until you are ready, _Sergeant_," Rtas said, turning around. He shook his head when he heard vomiting from the bathroom. "The Captain will give you your punishment."

"Punishment," Ar'n repeated, pulling on his uniform's jacket. "Why am I being punished?"

"For being late, Sergeant," Paul said from the doorway. "How's that hangover?"

"Ha-ha," Ar'n said sarcastically, sighing afterward. "What's my punishment?"

"You have probation until our next assignment; only on the military's time. No drinking while on that probation, free time or otherwise. You will have a drug screening every week during your probation; fail a screening, and you will not go on the next assignment. Finally, you have twice as many drills as everyone else, in less time; I don't care how you're feeling. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," Ar'n sighed.

"What was that, Sergeant?"

"Yes sir," he repeated louder, wincing at the volume of his own voice.

"Get to the sparring ring, your partner is already waiting," Paul ordered.

"Drug screening?" Rtas said as Ar'n ran in the direction of the ship's arena. "I do not think he has a drinking problem, Captain."

"It's just part of the punishment, Shipmaster," Paul said as he turned for the arena himself. "Have a good day."

"You as well," Rtas said, turning for the Command Deck. _"Something is troubling him," _he thought as he walked down the corridor.

_**Location: Sparring Arena**_

_**Ship Clock: 08:00 hours **_

"I had it again," Paul said as he watched Ar'n go through his remaining drills.

Garek looked over at him. "The dream?"

Paul nodded. "It was different this time, though."

"Hmm. Would you like to talk about it?" Garek said, turning back to watch Ar'n.

"No," Paul replied. "It was just a dream, probably from that liquor."

"Maybe," Garek shrugged. "Did she have human eyes this time around?"

Paul thought for a moment. "I can't really remember. It's probably not important, anyway." He turned as Ar'n ran over and stood at attention. "Good, Sergeant. You fell behind, but I'll let it slide this time. Now, get in the sparring ring."

Ar'n quietly sighed as he stepped into the ring. "Who am I up against?" he said.

"That would be me," a woman's voice called from across the arena.

"Oh, good morning Councilor," Paul said as she approached them.

"Captain," Kara returned. "Ah, the sparring ring. I have not entered one in years."

"_Maybe this will work to my advantage," _Ar'n thought as Kara stepped in. Ar'n slowly opened his eyes to find himself looking at the ceiling. "Or not," he thought aloud.

"Do you need some help?" Kara said, extending her hand.

"Thank you, Excellency," he replied, taking her hand. "And I'm sorry." As Kara tilted her head, Ar'n yanked on her arm from the mat and brought her down onto her belly. He rolled onto her back, pinning her arms in the process and lightly punched a spot just below the base of her neck.

"I cannott move," she stated after the chime sounded and Ar'n stood.

"Just wait a moment, ma'am," Paul said from the rings border. "He hit a pressure point at the base of your neck; it sends a small shock through the nerves in your spine, causing a temporary paralysis."

Kara rolled over and took Ar'n's hand. "If we ever spar again, please do _not_ do that." She turned towards Paul and Garek with a slight smirk on her face. "Unfortunately for you, I have excellent senses." She tapped the same spot on the back of Ar'n's neck, causing him to slump to the mat.

Ar'n simply sighed and waited for the sensation to pass; it wasn't the first time this had happened. He involuntarily shivered as he stood with the councilor's help. "Is there anything else to do today, sir?"

"No, we're done Sergeant. Just remember that you're on probation until the next assignment. Here, take these," Paul said, pulling out a couple of tablets. "They'll help with that hangover."

"Thank you," he said, taking the tablets. "Why are you giving me these _now_?"

"Let's just say that it was a test. Out in the field, you're not always going to be a hundred percent, none of us will be. Whether we're wounded, or sick, or just feeling downright shitty, we have to be able to get the job done." Paul paused to jot down a couple of notes. "We've seen that you can handle yourself while you weren't feeling well."

"Okay," Ar'n said. He didn't completely understand what Paul meant, but didn't ask.

"Go get breakfast, and then go see the Shipmaster to get your assignments for the day," Paul said.

"Assignments?"

"That's right, assignments; work. You're not just going to sit in your quarters all day."

"Yes sir," Ar'n saluted. Paul returned it and waved him off.

"You are sure you don't want to talk about it?" Garek said after both Ar'n and Kara had left.

"Yes, I'm sure," Paul sighed. "You said earlier that you had something else to show me?"

Garek thought for a moment and remembered the weapons he had found. "Yes, I did. What I found is in the armory. You'll know it when you see it."

"This is the _one_ thing that I'm glad to have had in common with my father," Paul said as he looked over the weapons.

"And what would that be?" Garek said as Paul lifted the small rifle.

"Being a weapon enthusiast. This," he said indicating the rifle in his hands, "is an old German rifle. A Heckler & Koch G36C and the handgun is a Sig Sauer P226R." He inserted a magazine and walked over to the firing line.

Garek grabbed the pistol, finding it, much to his surprise, to be more comfortable in his hands than his M6G, albeit much smaller. He picked up a magazine, finding that this model fired .40 S&W ammunition. He inserted the magazine, pulled back the slide, and entered the booth next to Paul. "Here goes nothing," he mumbled, raising the handgun and firing. He found that the weapon was easier to keep on target while firing in quick succession, moreso than his M6G. He watched as Paul tore into targets, getting headshots or hitting center mass with ease.

"Damn," he said after the magazine was empty. "I almost like this better than my DMR."

"Did you want this?" Garek said, gesturing to the 226 in his hand.

"Nah, you can keep it. Why?"

Garek removed his M6D from his holster, replacing it with the 226. "It's a better sidearm than this thing; more comfortable and more accurate when firing rapidly," Garek answered as he signed the M6D into the armory. "I just need to get more ammunition for it...and modify it."

"You can do that in Tarasun. I think I saw a few cases of .40 S&W at the installation," Paul said as they exited. "Speaking of which, shouldn't we be just about there?"

"We should be, yes," Garek answered. "We could go find out."

Paul stopped walking suddenly, making Garek look back. "How far is it to the Command Deck?"

"About two minutes if you take the gravity lifts, ten if you walk. Why?"

Paul smirked. "Race you?"

"Do you honestly think you could outrun me?"

"It wouldn't be the first time I've had to," Paul said. Garek could only guess what he was talking about. "Go."

Rtas turned as a pair of boots thundered into the Command Deck, seeing Captain Fulmer laughing in the doorway as Garek stepped in. "Does that answer your question?" he heard the former say.

"Captain, what is going on?" Rtas said.

"Just a little race, Shipmaster," Paul answered.

Rtas shook his head. "What really brings you here?"

"We were just wondering how close we are to Sangheilios," Garek said.

"About another hour. I have received word that we will not be staying this time around."

"Damn it," Garek muttered.

Rtas nodded. "None of us like it, Lieutenant. I wish I could have been informed sooner, but we will be going back to Earth on a new assignment."

"A new assignment already?" Paul said. "That was quick..."

"I will give you what details I have while you are here," Rtas said, retrieving a datapad. "Apparently, that city from your first assignment has become a war zone. The UNSC has been taking heavy casualties from the local militia across the city _and _out in the surrounding countryside, most of which are from sniper fire."

"Do you think that this has something to do with Christian Fett?" Garek said.

"It is a possibility, Lieutenant. We will not know everything until we have you on the ground."

"Is it only going to be our two teams?" Paul said.

"Yes and no; your teams will be working alone, but I will have a few squads of my Spec Ops in the city," Rtas explained. "What will you do about Sergeant 'Drakos?"

"He's going," Paul stated. "If it's only the eight of us, we'll need him down there."

"Nine," Rtas corrected. "Corporal 'Asar will be coming along."

"Nine, then," Paul nodded. "We'll still need Ar'n down there if it's as bad as you say it is."

"I have not heard much good about the situation," Rtas sighed.

"What about our military?" Garek said. "Were they not deployed?"

"No. The UNSC High Command told us not to directly intervene, hence the Spec Ops teams. I suggest that you inform the others of this."

"That won't be necessary, Shipmaster," Ahli suddenly said from behind them; the others were with her. "Will we at least have time to inform our families?"

"They will be waiting for each of you once we arrive in Tarasun. You will only time to say your farewells and gather whatever equipment you may need. It is going to be a long assignment, from the looks of your orders."

_**Location: SAF Military Installation **__**#1587**__**, Sangheilios**_

_**Local Time: 10:27 hours**_

"Well," Garek began. "I guess this is it. A new war is starting."

"How can you be certain?" Shara said as they continued their embrace away from the others.

"I know a war when I see one," he replied. "It may simply be a coup right now, but...I just know."

"You'll be fine. Think about what you have been through."

"How could I forget? However, the war is not mine to fight this time around. It's none of ours," Garek said quietly.

"Yet, you're still going," Shara said. "You are right, it's not our fight, but we fight anyway."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. We can't show these people that we will not allow ourselves to be trampled on if we stand off to the side, doing nothing. I shouldn't have to tell you this." She held him out at arms length. "Now stop stalling and say good-bye," she finished with a smile.

He sighed. "Farewell, Shara." He then took Lena from her. "And to you as well, child." The infant giggled as he nuzzled her. He paused briefly to look into her eyes before handing her back. "I'll be back, you have my word on that."

"Be careful out there," Shara whispered as he walked back to the waiting Phantom.

Garek sighed quietly as the doors closed and the craft gained altitude. "Good-byes are always the hardest part, my friend," Paul said from his side.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But I've been saying it far too often these past few months."

"But they weren't the last. This won't be either," Paul assured. "Have a little faith." Garek didn't reply as they boarded the _Shadow of Intent _and left for Earth again.


	12. Chapter 11: Maelstrom

_Chapter XI: Maelstrom_

_**Location: City of Little Rock, Arkansas**_

_**Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 09:34 hours**_

"Specialist, you go down there first and make us a hole," Paul shouted over the Falcon's engine noise as they flew into the city.

"You can count on me, sir," Q'to replied, loading a belt into his MG.

"Is this not a heavy risk to take, flying us into the city?" E'ros said. "I mean, surely they have some AA equipment set up."

Paul looked over at the Corporal from his seat. "Yes it's risky, but so is going in on foot or by vehicle. It's a war zone, there is no safe way in." Paul put a hand to his throat, activating his comm unit. "Romeo Eight-Six, set the Lieutenant down on the rooftop 400 meters away, eleven o'clock."

_"Copy that, Captain. Moving into position now."_

"Which Lieutenant?" Q'to said. "There are two in this squad."

"Lt. Madera is going to support us from outside the city. He has a mortar team in place already."

Q'to nodded. "That will be helpful."

"More than you know, Specialist." Paul knocked on the wall behind him and the Falcon descended to twenty-five feet above the ground in response. "Shields up!"

"Already done!"

"Go!"

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Specialist **

**Name: Q'to 'Ovus**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 09:40 hours**

I jumped from the still-moving aircraft, performing a roll once I hit the ground. "Shit," I growled as I immediately came under enemy fire. I sprinted sideways and fired up the street until I found cover. "Damn it," I hissed in frustration as I peeked around the corner, enemy rounds immediately pinging off of the building. I quickly looked around, finding a door to my left. I secured my MG to my back and swapped to my sidearm. As I got next to the door, I heard hushed voices on the other side. I stepped back, raised my sidearm, and kicked the door in, finding civilians on the other side.

"Don't hurt us," a female pleaded.

"Be quiet," I replied softly and made my way inside. "You should find a new place to hide, humans. Insurgents are crawling all over this district." They nodded quickly and scurried to another part of the building as I made my way upstairs. I peered through a third story window and quickly located the enemy positions. "Garek," I said into my throat mic.

_"Go ahead."_

"I have eyes on enemy troops. Marking them on your HUD...now."

_"I see them. Thank you, Specialist."_

I deployed my bipod in the window and watched as two soldiers fell from one shot. This caused the others to take cover, giving me the perfect opportunity. "Now, let's see how you like it," I said as I opened fire on them.

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Corporal **

**Name: E'ros 'Asar**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 09:45 hours**

I smirked as SPC 'Ovus tore into the enemy positions from an apartment window. "What do we do, Captain?" I shouted.

"We push them back! Let's go!"

"What about the others? Should we not wait for them?" I said as we ran up the street. I dove to the ground as .30 caliber rounds pinged off of my shields. I quickly crawled behind some debris and looked over at the Captain; the enemy forces seemed to be completely ignoring him. "Captain Fulmer!" I gestured up the street as he looked over. He nodded and reached for his grenades, pulling out a smoke. I holstered my M7 SMGs and brought up my Type 33 as the street was filled with smoke. Switching the scope to infrared, I quickly spotted the emplacement and fired. I grinned beside myself as I watched the shell impact the building, obliterating a large portion of the wall. I looked to my left as SPC 'Ovus slid next to me behind my cover, quickly averting my attention back to the street as things became quiet. "That was it?"

"No," Captain Fulmer said from my right. "They fell back into some buildings and back alleys. Nice work on that nest, by the way."

I shrugged. "I try. Where are the others?"

"They're coming. Just be patient, Corporal."

"Sir, we need to keep a look out for civilians. I found a small group when I entered that building over there," Q'to said, pointing over his shoulder.

"Noted." The Captain peeked around his cover. "Alright, let's move up."

**-\- Loading...**

**Recording...**

**Rank: Sergeant**

**Name: Ar'n 'Drakos**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 09:45 hours**

I grunted as a grenade went off at my feet, bringing my shields down. SSgt. 'Rasar quickly helped me to my feet as she ran past, trying to find cover. "Damn it," she muttered as we ran into an alley.

"My shields won't recharge," I said with a sigh. I checked the shield generator, but quickly pulled my hand away. "Son of a bitch," I hissed, shaking my burned hand. "Get the damn thing off."

She nodded and pulled out her knife. "Stay still for a second." I complied as she cut the device from my belt. "Looks like we're going to have to be more careful. You got lucky, Ar'n," she commented, pointing to the generator; there was a piece of shrapnel embedded in it.

"Indeed," I began, but got quiet as heavy footsteps approched from the street. I quickly crouched and aimed my rifle, the SSgt. doing the same behind me. I saw no one as the footsteps entered the alley. I lowered my rifle slightly as a Spec Ops soldier deactivated his cloak. "What are you doing here?"

"I got seperated from my team," the soldier replied; he sounded very young. "I suppose it's the same for you?"

"You could say that," the SSgt. replied. "How did you get seperated? Surely you can find them on your HUD?"

"My armor is damaged," he said, removing his helmet.

I could tell by the look on his face that he was afraid and in a great amount of pain. "Are you all right?" The soldier quickly shook his head. "Come over here, let me have a look."

"It's nothing you could fix," he said as he began holding his left side and leaning against the wall. "My ribs," he answered, anticipating the question.

"What is your team's callsign?" SSgt. 'Rasar said. "We can contact them if you can't."

"Echo Two-Seven," he winced as he slid down the wall into a sitting position, still holding his side. He tried to hide the blood as he pulled his hand away, but I saw it.

"Let me have a look at it," I said again; this time he complied and lifted his arm. The wound was a few inches deep with a large burn around the opening. "Shrapnel?" He simply nodded and hissed as I sprayed some biofoam into the wound. "Relax." I removed the chest piece on his armor as slowly as I could and felt each rib. "Three are broken. What happened?"

The soldier scratched his head, thinking. "Some kind of mine, I think," he answered as I placed a field dressing over the wound. "It brought my shields down and then it went off. I can't remember anything else."

"Well, your fight is over," I said as he lowered his arm. I looked over at the SSgt. and tilted my head.

"I can't reach them. It must be a secure channel."

"Let me try," I said as I began tweaking my comm unit. "Spec Ops team Echo Two-Seven, this is Sergeant 'Drakos. Please respond."

There was a pause after the mic on the other end opened; I could hear gunfire through the soldier's helmet. _"This is Echo Two-Seven Actual. How are you on this channel, Sergeant?"_

"I hacked in," I replied shortly. "Listen, I have a soldier with me, he says he's from your team."

_"Minor 'Zilas? Is he all right?"_

I moved away from the other two, patting the Ssgt. on the shoulder as I passed. She nodded and started talking to the wounded Minor. "No," I began quietly, looking back. "He sustained a few severe injuries from a mine."

_"Damn. Where are you now?"_

"I am not sure. All of the street signs were either removed by the enemy or destroyed in explosions before we got here. Don't worry about it, I'll get him out."

_"It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance." _The soldier quickly switched off the comm link.

I looked back at 'Zilas once more and switched back to my team's channel. "Bradley?"

_"Go ahead, Sarge."_

"We need a medivac for a wounded soldier. Now, if you could."

_"Can do. Get to a rooftop."_

I walked back over to the two. "We need to go, Ahli. Can you walk, Minor?"

"I'm not sure anymore," he answered truthfully. I nodded and helped him stand, supporting his left side. After we were on the rooftop, SSgt. 'Rasar threw down an IR strobe.

_"I see ya. Comin' in now."_

"A Falcon?" 'Zilas said with slight confusion. "Am I not going back to the _Shadow of Intent_?"

"Not just yet. You will likely be flown to a UNSC installation before being picked up," I answered. "Don't worry, they won't harm you. But, don't answer any questions. Remember, they don't know that you are here yet."

The Minor nodded. "I'm not going to be detained, am I?"

"No. I'll see to that, kid," Bradley said as I set him in the aircraft.

"Thank you, human," he said as he closed his eyes.

"Be quick about it. I think he may be bleeding internally," I said throught the cockpit window. The Irishman nodded and took off as we ran back inside the building.

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Sergeant First Class**

**Name: Rotje 'Tsom**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 10:05 hours**

I held up my fist before peeking around a corner. "What do you see?" Sgt. Trombley whispered behind me.

"It looks clear from this angle," I replied. "You, Marine." The young Marine Specialist looked up at me. "Do you see that first doorway on the other side of the street?"

"Yeah, I see it."

"Get over there, we'll cover you." As the Marine ran across the street, the crack of a rifle broke the silence. A second shot passed through the soldier's helmet, killing him. "Damn it. I guess we know why it's so quiet around here." I peeked around the corner a second time, but quickly drew back as a round grazed my shields.

"Did you see him?"

I simply shook my head in response. "Captain?"

_"Keep it brief, Ro. They may be listening."_

"How would they do that? I thought this was a secure channel." I sighed. "I'm pinned down by sniper fire."

_"Where?"_

"I don't know. I can't get anything on my radar or my HUD. I think this entire district is being jammed."

_"I think so, too. At least we can still communicate. You're sure you don't know where you are?"_

"I'm sure. There are no roadsigns, no markings of any kind in this area."

_"Alright. Try to find a way around."_ The Captain sighed. _"This operation is going extremely well."_

I snorted. "I couldn't have put it better myself." I switched off the link. "Let's get inside this building and try to find the bastard." We reverted to hand signals and crouch-walking as we searched the apartment building. I tried a door and found that it was locked; there was light coming from under the door. I nodded to Sgt. Trombley and watched as he placed a small breaching charge on the door. He entered first with his M90 shotgun raised, myself close behind.

I threw an enemy soldier over my shoulder as he tried to stick a knife in my neck from behind, bringing the butt of my rifle down onto the side of his head afterward, knocking him out. I watched as Sgt. Trombley did the same and quickly reach for his right leg. I couldn't see what it was, as his back was facing me. I quickly guessed as he pulled on the object and cried out; he had been stabbed. "Prick," he said as he bandaged the wound.

"Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine. It didn't hit bone or an artery, but I will slow us down."

"That's fine," someone said from the doorway. I turned, seeing SSgt. 'Asar and Sgt. 'Drakos step inside. "At least now you're not alone," the Ssgt. said.

"Indeed," I agreed. "Ar'n, you have blood on you."

"It's not mine. We found a wounded Spec Ops Minor a few blocks away...or he found us."

"Is he all right?" Trombley said.

Sgt. 'Drakos sighed. "I don't know. He made it to the Falcon, from there," he trailed off with a shrug. "Have either of you seen Toma?"

Trombley shrugged and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. "It's going to be one hell of a day," he said absently, lighting one.

"How can you stand those?" Ssgt. 'Asar said in slight disgust.

"Hey, don't give give me shit about my habits, alright? This is healthy compared to what's out there," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

I sighed and shook my head. "We still need to search the rest of this building. Are you sure you're all right?" Trombley nodded and extinguished the cigarette in the kitchen sink. "Let's go, then."

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Private First Class**

**Name: Toma 'Ahur**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 10:23 hours**

"This isn't good," I said to myself, walking down a deserted street. I glanced to the watch on my wrist, not removing my hand from the rifle; it was automatically set to the local time. I stopped as I heard a low growl to my left. _"That's not a growl, it's a signal," _I realized and answered the call. "Thank the Gods," I mumbled as three Spec Ops soldiers exited a dark storefront. "Alhpa Seven?" I said, recognizing the markings on their armor.

"That is correct...?"

"Toma 'Ahur, Private First Class with the TRF, Fireteam Foxtrot."

"The TRF is here?" one of the soldiers said.

"Just teams Alhpa and Foxtrot," I replied, glancing over my shoulder and quickly scanning the surrounding windows. "And we're all seperated."

"Have you tried to contact them?" the leader said.

I nodded. "My comm unit is malfunctioning. I can hear them, but can't speak to them."

"Surely, you have their location on your HUD?" the third asked.

"I don't use a HUD," I said, gesturing to my eyes. The soldiers nodded once, seeing that my eyes were their normal color under my Combat Helmet. "I prefer to use my own eyes to see the battlefield."

"Shipmaster?" The leader suddenly said, turning away. "Yes, I'm aware...No." He sighed. "Yes sir." He turned back to me and crossed his arms. "I have been ordered to join up with your group. You have command of this team."

I could tell that he was...how did humans always put it? Pissed off about the ordeal. "I can't lead your team, I don't have any experience," I said. "Plus, I don't even know where I should be going." I hated not being able to see the soldiers' faces, but I could tell the Spec Ops Major was pleased with my response as he nodded and uncrossed his arms.

"We have been given...someone's position on our HUDs. This way."

He directed me as I took point. "Wait," I said as I spotted a dead Marine lying in the street. From my position, I could see the small hole in his head. "There's a sniper out there."

"How can you tell?" The Major said incredulously. I pointed to the body on the pavement. "That proves nothing."

"You go first, then," I retorted coolly. The Major immediately backed down and I huffed. I then noticed an open door on the other side of the street. "Is the waypoint in there?"

"Yes," the Major answered with a sigh. "What are you doing?"

I dug into my grenade pouch and pulled out a smoke; standard issue to all TRF soldiers. "Blocking his line of sight," I replied simply, as if it were obvious. "This is more for me than for you. I don't have active camouflage."

"What if he is using a thermal scope?" one of the others pointed out.

"He can only hit one of us," I shrugged as I tossed the grenade around the corner. I rolled my eyes as they activated their stealth systems and ran into the street. I cursed under my breath as a round hit the Major's shields, bringing it and his cloak down. He growled loudly before taking a round in the chest. "You," I shouted at the nearest soldier as I picked up the fallen Major's arms. "Get his legs." He complied and we ran into the building as a round brought down my shields. "Clear that table off!" The other soldier, another Major I noticed, swept abandoned dishes off of a dining table and we gently set the wounded leader onto it. I quickly removed the chest armor and began retrieivng my medical suppiles.

"A field doctor?" the other Major said with disgust.

"Just part of the training," I mumbled as I examined the wound. I glanced at the leader's face, seeing blood flowing freely from his throat as he coughed. "Lung shot," I stated. "Hold him down. This is going to hurt."

"Wait," he coughed. "This will shame me."

"Ugh, not one of you," I muttered, but continued. He screamed as biofoam entered his lung, but quickly stopped as it began working. "Turn him over." The others complied and I checked for an exit wound, finding it in the small of his back. "Try to move your legs."

"I can't," the Major said.

I looked over at the other two Spec Ops and shook my head. "Call for an evac, get yourselves out of here. Did you complete your objective?"

"No," the second Major said. "We were still making our way to it when we found you."

"I see. Pass them on to me." The Major began to protest, but I cut him off, "Just do it. The TRF has the authority to carry it out." He sighed and handed me a datapad. "This is all?" I said, looking up from the device. "'Observe TRF forces until they are dead or complete their objectives'. Who gave these orders?"

"That is classified," the wounded Major said with a cough.

"Some things never change," I mumbled. "Just tell me."

"No, _Private._" He spat the last word, as if it would offend me.

I nodded, looking back to the datapad. "You do know that these aren't very difficult to hack, correct?" I heard two Carbines being raised as I typed away, decoding who had sent the message. I looked up and smirked, throwing down the datapad. "The High Council? Interesting." I raised my M7S and M6C SOCOM, aiming at them both. "You being Spec Ops, I have the stronger shields. Who do you think will walk out of this room if we open fire?"

"Lower your weapons, Private," a familiar human said from the doorway.

"Yes sir," I said, instantly holstering them. "It's good to hear from you, Captain."

"Likewise," Captain Fulmer sighed. "Get your weapons off of my soldier, or you will _not _leave this room." The Spec Ops hesitated, but complied with the Captain's order. "What happened to him?"

"Sniper," I answered shortly. "He's hit in the left lung and the spine."

"I am fine," the leader grumbled.

"You're far from it," I scoffed. "You are breathing with one lung and you can't move from the waist down. How is that 'fine'?" I turned to the two Spec Ops. "And why have you not called for an evac?"

"I told them not to bother," the Major said weakly. "Spec Ops do not get 'evacs', as you put it. We come back when we are either dead, or the job is done."

"Get ready to break the rules, Major. I just called for a Phantom to come get you," Captain Fulmer stated. "The others found the jammer and destroyed it," he said when I looked at him questioningly.

I replaced my helmet and nodded. "That's good," I said into my teams' channel; I felt stupid upon realizing that I had the mic switched off.

_"Toma?"_

"The very same, Ahli," I replied. "Q'to and E'ros?"

_"We're here."_

"Where are you now?" Captain Fulmer said.

_"On the roof, Captain. We're waiting for you."_

"Grab your leader and lets go," he ordered the two Spec Ops, but both shook their heads. "What is it?"

"If we bring him back, we fail our mission," the Minor stated.

"Which was to observe us," I pointed out. "How can you fail a mission like that if you're with the very people you were sent to observe?"

"We were not supposed to be found out," the other said bitterly. "He disobeyed that order," the second Major said, indicating his leader.

"I don't like where this is going," Captain Fulmer murmured. I gave a slight nod in response. "You're not going with him, you're just getting him out of here. Understood?"

"I don't think you understand, human-"

"_Understood?_" the Captain said in a more commanding tone. I briefly glanced over, recognizing my people's common dialect. The leader winced as they lifted him, but made no complaints as we headed to the roof; Captain Fulmer leading the way, while I was in the back.

"Toma," SPC 'Ovus said once we reached the roof. We bumped fists in greeting; something the humans had shown us. "Glad to see you made it."

"Likewise, Q'to. Captain, where is Garek?"

_"I am still at my perch, Toma. I'll be picked up after you."_

Once the Phantom arrived, the Captain turned to me. "You go with the Major, Toma. Tell them why he came back if he won't," he whispered.

"Yes sir. You did hear what their objective was, right?" When the Captain nodded, "Do you have any idea why the High Council would want to waste a resource like the Spec Ops to observe _us_? I mean, we record all of our missions. Surely they could just watch those?"

"I do have an idea...or a theory, at least. Isn't it obvious why a body such as the High Council would want to observe us, Toma?" I tilted my head. "Think about it; this is still a project, but if the High Council is observing us..."

"No," I trailed off.

"Yes, Toma. I think that this may be it. The TRF made official." The Captain turned back. "Now get going."

"Yes sir."

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: Staff Sergeant**

**Name: Ahli 'Asar**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 10:57 hours**

I smirked slightly at overhearing the Captain's theory; a theory that I, personally, agreed with. "What happens now, Captain?" I said, watching PFC 'Ahur step onto the Phantom.

"Now...I don't really know. We've completed our objectives in this area. Commander?"

_"I am listening."_

"Where do we go from here? We're...kind of lost," Captain Fulmer explained hesitantly.

_"I see...I have reports of UNSC Marines that require assistance at this location."_ A waypoint popped up on my HUD. _"They are pinned down by heavy insurgent fire. Make haste, Captain."_

"Thank you, sir. Alright, lets go."

"Come on," I said to the two Spec Ops as they hesitated to follow. "What's the matter?"

"We don't trust humans," the Spec Ops Minor replied.

"I heard that," Sgt Trombley called from the doorway. "And the feeling's mutual."

"You don't trust us?" SPC 'Ovus said behind him.

"No, I don't trust _them_. I've never liked anyone from a special operations group."

"Alfred, we're...technically special operations," the Captain sighed. "But only technically."

"Why do you say that?" I said.

"Well, think back to each mission we've done so far. We've either been hunting war criminals, getting rid of arms dealers, or eliminating terrorist cells; things that a special operations group _should_ be doing," the Captain said, glaring at the two Spec Ops.

I shrugged in agreement and turned back to the Spec Ops soldiers. "Let's go," I said impatiently. "In front of me," I sighed as they continued to stand there. "Idiots," I muttered as they passed, the Major looking over his shoulder briefly in response.

A few minutes later, we pressed ourselves against a wall, the Captain peeking around the corner. He held up two fingers waved for PFC 'Ahur and myself to run to the other side. "Ro, do it."

"Thunder," SFC 'Tsom called over the wall.

"Flash," a Marine replied on the other side. The Captain nodded and we filed through a hole in the wall. "Sarge, our relief just showed up!"

"We're here to help, but we're not your relief," Captain Fulmer said.

"Ugh," another human said; the Sergeant, I guessed. "Whatever, we'd appreciate the help. I think we have more than a coup on our hands here, Cap. These guys have been reinforcing themselves with two regiment sized groups. _All day_. The streets around here have been quiet for about forty-five minutes. Our boys to the eastward are taking heavy fire right about now."

"Who's that on the loudspeaker?" Captain Fulmer said.

"Hell if I know, but my guess is that he's some kind of morale officer."

"'The UNSC is kaput.' That's disconcerting," the Captain said sarcastically.

"Go ahead and get a runner up here," the Marine Sergeant ordered.

"Runner!"

After the runner arrived, the Sergeant; Hill, I noticed, whispered the directions to him. "Cover!" We all emptied our magazines before the runner tapped Lt. 'Izak on the shoulder and began sprinting down the road. He made about half-way up the street before insurgent machine gun fire cut him down. I watched as one of the other Marines peeked over the wall at the injured runner.

"Sadistic fuckin' animals," he shouted as the downed soldier was fired on again.

The Captain quickly pulled the man back behind the wall. "As long as his lungs have breath in them, he still carries the message. We'd do the same thing."

"No we wouldn't!"

"Corpsman, get him ready to travel," the Captain said to a UNSC medic, indicating a Marine with an injured leg.

"Yes sir."

"Boyd," Sgt. Hill began. "Try and reach Captain Hammill again, let him know we're coming?"

"What's the rest of this district look like?" Captain Fulmer said as Boyd talked into his comm link.

"Uh...mainly two and three story buildings on either side. There's a lot of windows...and then there's a wide-open square with pretty good cover on the left."

"Show me."

**-\- Loading Recording...**

**Rank: 2nd Lieutenant**

**Name: Garek 'Izak**

**Date: 24/10/2558**

**Local Time: 11:13 hours**

"You, uh...Trombley," I heard one of the Marines say in front of me. "Where's the Captain from?"

We all shared glances, seeing an opprotunity to mess with the Marine. "You figure that one out, you get yourself a nice prize," Sgt. Trombley said.

"Three thousand credits last I heard," SPC 'Ovus said as he passed.

As we edged closer to the square the Marine continued, "Someone _must _know where he's from or what he did for a living."

"I've known him for over six years, I don't have a clue," I said.

"Does anyone even know where he went to school?"

"The Captain didn't go to school, they assembled him at OCS out of spare body parts and dead G.I.s," Trombley said before quckly moving away from the Marine.

Seeing the look on the Marine's face, Cpl. 'Asar joined in. "You have to pay attention to detail. See, I know exactly where he's from and exactly what he did for a living because I pay attention to detail."

"Human...careful that you don't step in the bullshit," Sgt. 'Drakos said as he passed them.

We ran up to another wall leading into the French speaking portion of the city. "Do it," the Captain ordered.

"Thunder! Thunder, or we will fire on you," a Marine called.

Not receiving a reply, but hearing voices on the other side, the Captain peeked over the wall and saw a family. "Alfred, tell them to show themselves."

"Montrez-vous! Montrez-vous," Sgt. Trombley called. As the family walked out of the shadows, we ran through the gate and stopped below them in the street.

"Ask them if they know where the insurgents are."

"Savez-vous où les insurgés sont?" he called up to them.

The father began speaking frantically, which visibly irritated the Captain. "What is he saying?"

"He said something about the children," Trombley replied. When the father grabbed his daughter and held her out, "They want us to take the children."

"No no no, we can't take the kids."

"Non," Trombley called repeatedly, but the father ignored him. I watched as one of the Marines walked up the pile of debris towards the hole in the apartment's wall.

"Marine! Get that kid back up there," Captain Fulmer shouted.

"I can't. She reminds me of my niece, sir."

"Get that kid back up there!"

"Captain, the decent thing to do would be to take her down the road to the next town," the Marine began, but the Captain cut him off.

"We're not here to do the decent thing, we're here to follow fucking orders! Sergeant Hill, take this goddamn kid!"

I was surprised by the Captain's outburst; he usually wanted to do the decent thing. _"Then again," _I thought. _"_Nothing_ has gone right today." _As if the Gods were listening to my thoughts, I watched as the Marine gasped sharply and fell down, the crack of a rifle echoing soon afterward.

"Cover," several Marines shouted.

"Goddammit, where'd that come from?" Sgt. Hill called.

"He was on the ground before we heard the shot," I called. I peeked through a car's window at a eight story tower in the distance. "That's where I would be."

Captain Fulmer looked at it, then back at me. "I didn't see it."

"Eight hundred and fifty yards," I said, absently judging the distance. "I wouldn't venture out there. This sniper has talent." I quickly moved into a position that would give me a good angle on the tower. I muttered to myself as I adjusted the controls on my scope, switching the IR on. As soon as the insurgent sniper paused in his scanning, I squeezed the trigger, sending the .50 caliber round directly through his scope. I turned and waved everyone out of cover after seeing no more movement.

"That's why we can't take children," Captain Fulmer said as several Marines gathered around the dead soldier. "Ro, E'ros, go check that tower and double time it back here. Now, go!" He pulled the Marines dogtags and handed them to Sgt. Hill.

After twenty minutes of silent walking, we came into a small alleyway. "You guys can flake out here for awhile, while I get this goddamn hitchhiker out of my boot," Sgt. Hill said as he plopped down onto a pile of debris. As he shifted his weight, a large board fell over and knocked the wall down. Everyone quickly turned and brought up their weapons as insurgents rushed into the now-open room and did the same, each side shouting incoherently at the other to drop their weapons.

This problem solved itself as three Marines opened fire on the insurgents from above with MA5C Assault Rifles, killing most of them instantly. "Clear up," one of them called. "Clear up!"

"Clear down," Sgt. Hill called back as one of the Marines ran into the room and disrespectfully pushed one of the slumped insurgents over.

"It's enough to make you old."

"Let's hope so," I muttered as I did a quick check over my equipment.

"So, do you have anything left in this town? Like a three-star hotel, something with clean sheets, soft pillows, and room service?" Captain Fulmer joked after he had introduced himself to Captain Hammill.

"How about a nice, comfy church?"

"Eh, we'll take that."

"So, what brings you out here?"

"What do you mean?" Captain Hammill's response was to nod his head towards me and the other Sangheili in our group. "Ah, right. We're looking for some guy named Ryan. He's supposed to be behind this mess."

"We could sure as hell use you around here, but I understand what you're doing."

Captain Fulmer snickered lightly. "You do?"

"Yeah, I've had to do things like this a few times myself," Captain Hamill explained. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

"No, I mean it. Find him, and end this."


	13. Chapter 12: Rememberance

_Chapter XII: Rememberance_

_**Location: City of Conway, Arkansas**_

_**Date: Saturday, October 27, 2558 (UNSC Calendar)**_

_**Local Time: 13:57 hours**_

"Quite the situation, eh?" Paul said as he walked down a debris-littered street.

"Yeah," Garek agreed tiredly.

Paul lit a cigarette and sat on a low wall. "Fucked up beyond all recognition," he said slowly.

Garek turned and looked down at him. "...FUBAR."

"Hey," Paul said with a chuckle.

Garek turned his head sharply as gunfire echoed from a few blocks away. "We should go."

"Yeah, we should." He sighed as they rejoined the others. "Almost a week of searching, and we haven't found a damn thing."

"You are not thinking of giving up, are you?" the Spec Ops Major said.

Everyone shot him a glare that could have melted lead. "Of course not," Paul replied curtly. "But I doubt that we've even come close." He looked over the group; everyone was visibly exhausted, dirty, and out of ammo. "Commander?"

_"I am here."_

"Have you heard anything. Anything at all?"

_"Unfortunately, no. You may have to call off your search."_

Just as Paul was about to respond, a black SUV sped past them, nearly running down the Spec Ops soldiers. "That was it," he muttered, dropping his cigarette.

"How can you be sure?" Garek said.

"Vehicle matches the description I was given." They quickly hopped into the abandoned Warthogs they had found and gave chase to the vehicle. Paul looked at Garek, who was in the passenger seat next to him. "We don't need him alive." Garek nodded and pulled up his MA5K Carbine, sitting up slightly to shoot over the windscreen. He fired a few quick bursts, aiming for the tires. A couple of rounds hit the rear driver-side tire, causing the vehicle to slide due to the speed it was traveling. Paul slowed the Warthog as the SUV began to roll top-over-bottom down a hill before sliding to a stop on it's crumpled roof. He told everyone to stay behind as he and Garek went to inspect the vehicle.

Garek lifted his MA5K as their target crawled out of the smoking wreck, but Paul placed a hand on the barrel, silently telling him to lower it. "Fredrick Ryan?" Paul said as the man coughed and looked up, his eyes wide.

"Shit," Ryan muttered. "Yeah, that's me."

"I'm going to ask you one question, and one question only Mr. Ryan." After the man nodded, he continued, "Are you associated with Richard Maloy, and if so, where is he?"

"Isn't that two-"

"Just answer, smart-ass," Paul said impatiently.

"Yeah, and I don't know. I can tell you where he _might _be."

"Where?"

"His home in Ireland, of course. Cigarette?"

Paul shrugged and handed the man one, lighting it for him before straightening. He patted Garek on the arm before turning and walking towards their vehicles. Garek, getting the message, pulled out his sidearm. "I never liked having to do this," he muttered before pulling the trigger and walking away himself. "What are you doing?"

Alfred looked up from one of the Warthogs and shrugged. "What we always do. Destroying these."

"This is UNSC property," Garek said, confused.

"Property that they wouldn't want in enemy hands," Paul said, crossing him arms. "We're not here to leave supplies for the insurrectionists, Garek. If we can't have them, no one can."

"We could take them back to the UNSC installation. We have to stop there anyway," Ar'n pointed out.

Paul shook his head. "I know how much you all hate these things. And, why drive for a few hours through enemy territory when we can just fly over it and get to safety in more than half of that time?" Ar'n didn't give a response. "Listen Ar'n, we're all tired and aching to go. Trust me, I know how you feel." They all looked up as the sound of a Pelican's engines broke the uncomfortable silence in the city. No one said a word as they flew to the base just outside of Little Rock; they were all thinking of how badly the operation had gone and the Spec Ops that were assigned to observe them.

Garek glanced at the two soldiers, who were watching the scenery fly past through the open rear hatch. Paul had shared his theory with him while they had conversed in the church on the 24th. _"I suppose it makes sense,"_ he thought. _"But why the need for secrecy?"_

_**Location: UNSC Installation #4436 "Ozark", Akansas**_

_**Date: Saturday, October 27, 2558**_

_**Local Time: 15:02 hours**_

"Captain Paul Tomas Fulmer?" a man in a dress uniform said as they stepped off of the Pelican.

Paul sighed as he recognized an ONI officer. "That's me. What do you want?" he said tiredly.

"Follow me, please. We have an Elite being held in captivity, it says it's with you," the officer explained as he turned.

"Just wait here," Paul said to the squad. "With ONI, you can never tell how long something will take." They all nodded and retook their seats on the aircraft. "Would you mind telling me why this soldier is being held captive?"

"Just a precaution...and for it's own safety," the official said flatly. "It hasn't been harmed, if that's your concern."

"There was also a Spec Ops Minor and Major brought here. Where are they?"

"The Elite demanded that they be taken back to his ship as soon as he arrived."

"And why didn't he go with them?" Paul quickly grew agitated with the officer after not receiving an answer.

"It's in here," the officer said, stopping in front of a secure door and entering a code. Paul rolled his eyes at the officer's continuous use of the word 'it'.

Toma sharply turned his head as the door opened and sighed with relief when he saw Paul on the other side. "It's about damn time," he said, standing. He noticed the ONI officer take a step back as he did so. "What? Do I scare you that easily, human?"

Paul smirked and slightly shook his head, turning to the officer. "So, what section are you with?"

"That's not important," the officer replied.

"Oh, but it is. Why would an ONI officer approach me about a simple 'captive'?" Paul paused. "Let me guess. Section Three?"

"We'll be in touch," the man said instead, handing Paul a chatter before quickly walking away.

"Let's go," Paul sighed, pocketing the device.

"You look like hell," Toma commented as Paul signed the release forms.

"Why thank you, Toma. Because I feel just _peachy_."

"Hmm. How did it go?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" Paul returned as they walked across the tarmac.

"I am just curious, seeing as I was here for three days," Toma said.

"Just wait until the debriefing, Toma. You'll get all the details you want there," Paul said as he leaned his head back against the wall of the Pelican. "Bradley, get us the hell out of here."

"No need to tell me twice, Cap'n."

Toma looked to each of his Sangheili fellows questioningly, but they either shook their heads or ignored him. "I am fine, by the way. Thank you all for asking."

"Toma, shut up. Please," Ahli sighed from her seat. "None of us are in the mood."

"That bad, mmm?" he muttered, staying silent afterwards.

_**Location: Command Deck, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Ship Clock: 17:26 hours**_

"As you can see, the operation was bad from the start," Paul said as they watched one of the mission recordings.

"Indeed," Rtas said, stopping the recording. "You are dismissed. Rest well."

"Thank you, Commander. Oh, quick question." Rtas nodded for him to continue. "Do have any idea as to why the Council would want to observe us?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Captain. Though, I do agree with your theory."

"It would be nice if that were the case. Though...wouldn't the UNSC admiralty also need to be in on this?"

"About that," Rtas said slowly.

"We _are_ in on it," a voice said from behind Paul. Recognizing it, he immediately stood at attention and saluted. Lord Hood chuckled. "At ease, Captain. You don't answer to me anymore...at least not completely."

"Not completely? What do you mean, sir?"

"Well, this _is _a joint operations project."

"Right," Paul muttered. "How could I forget?"

"That's alright. You're used to working with them by now."

"So...how close was I?"

"Right on the money," Lord Hood answered. "You've never given yourself enough credit, Fulmer."

"I'm not the type to give myself credit," Paul shrugged. "It's not my authority."

"Such modesty," Lord Hood chuckled. "I don't see why you aren't at least a Major by now."

"My place is on the ground with my troops, not sitting in some tent, watching from the sidelines." Garek noticed Rtas smirk before he turned to hide it. "And to be perfectly honest, sir. I never wanted to be a Captain," Paul continued. "I enjoyed my time as a Sergeant Major just fine."

"Someone needed to take over the position, and you were the best choice."

"Well, I don't think so," Paul sighed. "But it's too late to go back now. So, the TRF made official. How is this going to work?"

"For starters, it will still be strictly voluntary."

"That's a given," Paul said.

"You'll get more supplies and will be able to get direct assistance from the UNSC or SAF, if the need arises."

"What about ONI?" Lord Hood raised an eyebrow. "An ONI officer approached me at Ozark, said that 'we'll be in touch'."

"I have no knowledge of this. I'll see what I can dig up, Captain. I must be going now," Hood said, placing his officers cap back on his head. Paul gave a crisp salute, which he returned before exiting the Command Deck.

"ONI?" Rtas said. "I have heard rumors about this organization since the end of the war."

"Most are either true, or far from it. Things just don't seem to add up anymore," Paul finished quietly. "See you around, Commander." Rtas nodded before turning back to his display.

"So...this is being made official," Rtas said as he and Kara idly walked the corridors of the ship.

"I suppose it is. What do you think of it?"

"I believe it is for the best, Kara. Both of our peoples need this, if only to have a better understanding of each other. And yourself?"

"I...am not sure what to make of it, Rtas. I agree with you, but how many humans are there like the Captain?"

"I am not sure. My guess is that the Captain's likeness is a minority, and with good reason."

Kara nodded in understanding. "I have been thinking, Rtas," she said after a pause. "You told me how quickly they became attached to each other; good friends in a few days. Do you not find that strange?"

"They are not like most of our people, Kara. I have read reports of Garek 'Izak's actions during his service to the Covenant. He showed great mercy towards human civilians, particularly women and children. He also openly admitted to never believing in the Great Journey after we were betrayed by the San 'Shyuum."

"Never believed in the Journey?" Kara repeatedly skeptically.

"I was not so surprised, Kara. He was not the first, and definitely not the last to admit it. Personally, I stopped believing when the Spartan destroyed the first Halo."

"The Journey...when I realized that it was political tool, a lie, I thought about taking my own life," Kara said quietly. "My family shared my thoughts, but unlike myself...they went through with it."

"You never told me of this," Rtas said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It is not something I like to share...or even think about. Do you know how I got on the Council?" she said, turning to face Rtas. "The only reason I am who I am today is because I was the only one left in my family to take my father's place."

"You do not enjoy being a Councilor?"

"It is not that I dislike being a Councilor, I just hate polotics."

"That may be Kara, but your accomplishments on the Council has earned our females the right to serve, and more than a few have excelled as soldiers. Is it the polotics you hate, or just being able to push past the polotical boundaries with little resistance?"

Kara considered this for a moment before answering, "I am not sure anymore, Rtas. It was an honor, no a _privelage_, to receive the position, but I am not built for this."

"Are you so sure?" Rtas said seriously. "I knew your father, and you have accomplished more in these six months than he did in two years. You may not think so, but you were made for this Kara. I am sure of it."

"If you say so," she sighed as they continued to walk. "What of the Covenant?" she said suddenly.

"What of it?" Rtas scoffed. "If they come back, they will not stay long."

"So, what do you guys honestly think about this?" Cesar said to his human companions once they were alone.

"I didn't trust them at first. Hell, I didn't even like them," Alfred said. "After seeing that they sincerely wanted to help us, if only through a common goal, I opened up to them."

Cesar looked to Paul, who simply nodded in Alfred's direction, silently agreeing to what the man said. "Have you forgiven them?"

"Hell no," they replied in unison.

"Humanity won't forgive them. It likely never will, and they know that," Paul said. "We weren't much different centuries ago, Cesar. Back when your nationality on Earth might have actually meant something to people. You see my people, the Germans, were never trully forgiven for the despicable acts they committed in World War II, and with good reason." Paul paused briefly. "But everyone did move on, much like we're doing now."

"Don't you think it's a little soon?"

"I'll admit, things did happen rather quickly. I assume you three know why?"

"The Covenant," Sean said quietly.

"That's right. They're still out there, and they _will _come back. It may not be anytime soon, but it will happen." Paul saw the skepticism in their eyes. "Listen, I know these things. _You _know these things. I have not forgotten, but I, personally, have made peace with it. The way I see it, the only way to keep looking is foward."

"It's just hard, y'know?" Cesar mumbled.

"I do know. Since when has anything been easy?"

Spec Ops Minor Ish 'Nopum quickly moved away from the door to Paul's quarters after he had heard enough. "Sir," he said upon standing before the soldier's bed in the medical wing.

"What do you have for me?"

"I listened to the humans talk amongst themselves sir, just as you ordered."

"And?" the Major said with slight impatience.

"Nothing suspect, but I think we should keep a watchful eye on them; the one called 'Cesar' in particular. The shortest one," 'Nopum said as the Major gave him a questioning look.

"Very well. I will leave this task to you."

"Should I eavesdrop further?"

"Not just yet. Return to your duties until they are preparing for their meeting with the Council and the human officials."

"Yes sir," 'Nopum saluted before the Major waved him off.

_**Location: Main Hall, Council Chambers, City-State of Tarasun**_

_**Date: Thursday, November 1, 2558**_

_**Local Time: 13:00 hours**_

Kara glanced wearily at her fellow councilors as Rtas summarized mission reports from the several TRF squads stationed on Sangheilios; she didn't like what she saw in the others eyes one bit. Though their faces were unreadable due to their experience as poloticians and the ornate helmets they wore, she could see each of their eyes clearly, several showing doubt and skepticism. She looked to the human dignitaries across the room, seeing similar feelings amongst the majority. "Despite several setbacks, each team has yet to fail an assignment," Rtas finished.

"You call injured civilians a 'setback'?" one of the humans said loudly.

"Colonel Ackerson," Admiral Hood said warningly.

"Moving on," Rtas said, sparing a glance at the rude Colonel. "I believe that the time has come for these men and women to be recognized for their actions. Human admiralty, your Excellencies, I implore you to consider this." Rtas gave a small smile and nod to Kara as he and the leaders of each squad were ushered out by Honor Guards.

"Councilor 'Cudas," the Arbiter called. "What have you to say about this?"

Kara shook her head slightly; she had been lost in thought. "Well," she began, standing. "I am for it, even in light of our...history with the humans." The Arbiter nodded in acceptance as she retook her seat. She began thinking again as the other councilors began agreeing or voicing their concerns and doubts.

"We will return within the hour to make our final decision," the Arbiter said. "Councilor 'Cudas."

Kara turned upon hearing her name once they were outside the chamber. "Yes, Arbiter?"

"You will give the leaders the announcement once the ruling has been made. Do you think you would be able to handle that?"

Kara nodded. "You sound troubled," she commented. "Do you not believe it will be a positive outcome?"

The Arbiter sighed. "My only doubt is in the human admiralty, Councilor. The others have their doubts, but the majority of us are for it. The decision must be unanimous for the project to become an official part of both of our militaries."

"Which humans do you doubt the most?" she said, though she had a feeling which name was going to come up.

"Ackerson," the Arbiter said, looking up and down the hallway. "He is with ONI, a secretive branch of their government. I have not heard many good things about them. Do you know of the Spartans?"

"Yes. What do they have to do with this?"

"Every Spartan was a child when they were taken by ONI, kidnapped." The Arbiter shook his head and scowled. "Ackerson was one of the heads of that program."

"How do you know this...and how is it relevant?"

"The Spartans were created to give humanity the upperhand in their operations against the Covenant. Although his Spartans, Threes they were called, were not as versatile as the Twos, there are more of them."

"I still fail to see the relevance of this," Kara sighed.

"Colonel Ackerson hates us, Councilor. And with him being a top ONI officer, he can do whatever he pleases _without _the UNSC's permission. Be careful around him, Kara. Do not speak with him alone." With that, the Arbiter strode away, leaving a confused Kara behind.

"I gave him that information," Ar'n suddenly said from behind her.

"How did you get it, Sergeant?" she said, turning sharply.

Ar'n smirked as he leaned against the wall. "I have my ways, ma'am."

"Do not make me repeat myself," Kara said impatiently, crossing her arms.

"He thought that his files were secure." Ar'n shook his head. "Simple encryption. I was reading in under two minutes." Kara tilted her head, so he continued, "I'm a tech expert, you see? Thebest."

"Who gave you permission to do this? That is dangerous information, Sergeant."

"Captain Fulmer and Commander 'Vadum, of course. Not a word of this, Councilor; we just like to know who _our_ allies are," Ar'n said lowly. "You should go join the others, ma'am. They won't wait for you to begin." Ar'n nodded sharply before turning around and walking down the hall.

"Too many secrets," Kara muttered.

"Welcome to polotics," Ar'n said over his shoulder. Kara huffed and entered the room where her fellow Councilors where arguing with one another.

Rtas waited patiently in the center of the chamber as the Councilors began to file in and take their seats. He watched as Kara stood and quietly cleared her throat. "We have reached a decision. We have agreed that this task force be made an official branch of our military. Lord Hood?"

"Even though there were some against this," Hood said, glaring at Ackerson for a moment. "We have reached a decision, as well. We, too, agree that this task force be made into an official branch of the UNSC."

Kara nodded. "Commander 'Vadum, inform the squad leaders that they have time off until further notice."

"Yes, Excellency. Er, immediately?"

"That would be best, Commander."

"Of course," Rtas said with a bow before leaving the chamber. "Colonel," Rtas said after activating his personal comm.

_"Yes?"_

"Call the squad leaders to the installation. I have excellent news."

_"I'm listening..."_

"Inform them that they have leave until further notice. No classes, no drilling, nothing. I will give them the other news once I arrive."

_"Do I even need to ask, Rtas?"_

"You may not, Nazo. I will see you soon, brother."

_**Location: SAF Military Installation **__**#1587**_

_**Local Time: 14:47 hours**_

Every squad leader stood at attention as Rtas walked across the large courtyard. "At ease. On this day, I can officially call each of you my brothers and sisters in arms. Ladies and gentlemen, the TRF is now an official branch of the UNSC-SAF Alliance. The next time we see each other, there will be many new faces and equipment to familiarize yourselves with. Enjoy your time off."

As others quickly dispersed to inform their squadmates and families, Paul stepped over to Rtas and Nazo. "What did I say? The day has finally come," he said with a grin.

"It has, _brother_. Things can only improve from this point," Nazo said, smiling himself. "Captain, Commander, if you will excuse me."

"Go spend time with your family, Nazo. You do not need my permission to leave," Rtas said.

"I believe it's time for some drinks, Commander. I'm buying," Paul said.

"I will pass. Thank you for the offer, though. I believe a certain someone wants my attention this evening."

"That's good, too. See you around, Commander." Rtas nodded before leaving the courtyard.

_**Location: Home of Garek 'Izak & Shara 'Hesum, City-State of Tarasun**_

_**Local Time: 18:00 hours**_

"What?" Garek stood as Paul gave him the news.

"That's right, friend. We're official."

Garek sighed. "I suppose this means a new assignment?"

"That's the other good news I mentioned. We all have leave until further notice."

"That isn't something you joke about, Paul," he said, making a gesture with a claw.

"I'm being completely serious, man. Anyway, we'll have some new...toys to try out once we get called back."

"I can't wait to tell Shara."

Just then, Shara appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "Tell me what?"

"The task force is official, Shara."

"That's good," she said half-heartedly.

"That's not the best part. We all have leave."

"For how long?"

"Until further notice," Garek said, unable to contain his smile. "Where are the children?"

"With Deza. I didn't know you were back yet. When did you arrive?"

"This afternoon."

"Should I go get them?"

"I think that can wait," Garek whispered.

"I'll go get them. Just call when you're ready for them to come back," Paul said, tipping his hat on the way out.

"Surely Rotje and Deza have the same plans," Shara said as they walked to their bedroom.

"I am sure he'll think of something to give them some privacy."


	14. Chapter 13: A Long Time Coming

_Chapter XIII: A Long Time Coming_

_**Location: City of Aachen, Germany**_

_**Date: Friday, May 6, 2559**_

_**Local Time: 07:30 hours**_

Toma crossed his arms as he watched the sun rise from the apartment's balcony. "I never thought I would cross _this_ line," he mumbled to himself, taking a small drink of hot tea.

"Me either," a voice said from behind him. He turned to see Marie Nichols walking onto the balcony with a steaming cup of coffee. "My father would be so pissed if he found out." She paused to take a drink from her mug. "I guess it's a good thing that I never cared what he thought."

"I wouldn't know about something like that," Toma said, leaning on the railing. "My father died in the war and I haven't spoken with my mother since I graduated from Academy."

"Why?" she said, leaning against the railing with her back.

He glanced at her and sighed, hearing the genuine concern in her voice. "To put it bluntly, she was an abusive bitch. And that was only after father died," Toma explained, pushing off of the railing and pacing.

"What did she-"

"I don't like to talk about it." Toma looked into the street as a familiar car screamed up the street, the human rock music almost as loud as the engine. "This can't be good," he muttered.

"What is it?"

"One of my friends. There is only one reason why he would be here."

"What reason is that?" Toma didn't answer as he went to gather his equipment. Marie sighed as he walked into the living room and set his duffel bag on the couch. "You're not going down to him?"

He crossed his arms as he took a seat. "No. If he wants me to go, he can carry his ass up here and get me."

"Enter," Marie called as someone knocked on the door.

"Going somewhere, Toma?" Ar'n asked as he stepped through the doorway, having to duck his head slightly.

"You're not here to get me?"

"No," Ar'n snorted. "Ahli would have contacted you if we were called back into action. What, a friend can't visit?"

"It would have been nice to know you were coming," Toma sighed.

"Thirsty?" Marie said.

Ar'n sniffed the air, a small smile forming. "Coffee, please."

"Cream, sugar, milk?" Ar'n shook his head. "Just...coffee?"

"Yeah. What?" Ar'n said as Marie gave him a strange look. "I like my coffee _black_."

"What brings you here, Ar'n?"

"I came to Earth on leave. We've been traveling around the planet since February."

"Where is Kya?"

"Still sleeping at the hotel," Ar'n said with a smile. "I see you kept your word, Toma. I take it you are just living together?"

"You could say that," Toma said as Marie sat next to him.

"You didn't," Ar'n said when he noticed how close Marie was sitting to him.

"I did," Toma said with a shrug. "We did."

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Toma," Ar'n said lowly. "What would your family-"

"What would my mother do, disown me?" Toma said with a mirthless laugh. "I don't care what that woman thinks of me, Ar'n. I'm happy, and that is all that should matter."

"If you say so," Ar'n muttered, the three falling silent for a time.

"Well, this is awkward," Marie commented.

"No, that first time was awkward," Toma whispered to her, making her laugh.

"That it was, but it was worth it."

"So, Ar'n, how is everyone else doing?"

"Fine, I suppose. Rtas and Kara bonded last month. No one has heard from the Captain or Rotje for some time, though. The last I heard from Paul, he said that he was 'going hunting'."

"Oh no," Toma sighed.

"What?"

"I think I know what they are doing, Ar'n."

Ar'n tilted his head skeptically. "They would have told us, Toma."

"Told you what?" Marie said, confused.

"He thinks they went after Richard Maloy," Ar'n sighed.

"The war criminal?"

"The very one," Toma said. "Where else would they be, Ar'n?"

"Seeing their families, most likely. Kya and I didn't tell anyone we were leaving, either."

_**Location: Approximately 25 miles northeast of Tullamore, Ireland**_

_**Date: Yesterday, 02:20 hours**_

"Breaks over, Ro. Let's go," Paul said, snuffing out his cigarette on the ground.

"Vengance at last," Rotje muttered as they slowly trudged across the soggy moor. "I have sentries on the estate's walls."

"Leave them, we're only here for Maloy. Are you recording this?"

"No."

"Good."

"We're going behind everyone's back?"

"That's right, Ro. The only ones who know about this are Bradley, you, me, and the Commander. Our true goal has been Kirkendall this whole time. This mission is just for us."

"Some support would have been nice...and the truth," Rotje muttered as he scaled the wall, being on guard for sentries.

"Sorry, Ro. I knew you wanted this just as bad as I do, so I had to lie."

"It's fine, so long as I get to kill the bastard."

Paul nodded as he crouched next to him. "The kill is yours. You know what I really want to find."

Rotje nodded in understanding before dropping into the courtyard, landing silently. "Do you have the layout of this place?" he whispered.

"I do. My informant said that he should be in his study at this hour."

"This early in the morning?"

"He sleeps during the day, or what could pass for sleep; Maloy's been paranoid ever since Reach." Once getting inside, Paul pointed to a set of stairs. "The study is up there, fourth door on the left. I'll go downstairs."

Rotje nodded and crouch-walked up the stairs and down the hallway, not making a sound as he moved. He eased the door to the study open, finding Maloy asleep in the chair behind his desk. "Good morning, Maloy," Rotje whispered, covering the man's mouth to quiet his shout. "Do you remember me? Come on, think," he said as Maloy shook his head. "Six years ago, in Africa."

"No," came the muffled, unbelieving reply. Rotje spun the chair around, uncovering the Irishman's mouth. "You son of a bitch."

"Hmm, I never actually knew my parents. I was abandoned when I was young, you see? All I had was a maternal uncle, raised in a common room with other orphans," Rotje explained absently, unsheathing his knife. "I must ask, why do you hate my people? I know it's on a personal level."

"You bastards murdered my wife and child."

Rotje nodded slowly. "Tell me something else. Who did Paul Fulmer lose his wife to? I seem to have forgotten."

"I killed her," Maloy answered, regret evident in his voice.

"Why?" Paul suddenly said in the doorway.

"It was either her or me."

"You always were a coward, Maloy," Paul sighed. "Where is my daughter?"

"I don't know, Kirkendall took her somewhere. How long have you been working with the split-lips?"

"Longer than I did with you. Ro, do it."

"Now it's my turn," Rotje whispered, plunging the blade into Maloy's gut and quickly slicing the blade across his abdomen, disemboweling him. The two left the room before Maloy even slumped dead into the floor. "I am glad that's over with," Rotje said once they were back outside the estate. Noticing Paul's sullen look, "When we find out where your daughter is, I would like to accompany you. I owe you one, as you humans would say."

Paul chorlted quietly as they climbed into his car. "I would appreciate it, Ro. I'm sorry for taking you away from your family."

Rotje shrugged. "They think I am still in Tarasun, no worries."

"I'm still not sure they went after him, Toma. They would have-" Ar'n was cut short by his chatter ringing. "Hello?" He tilted his head as he sat the phone on a table, enabling the speaker. "It is on."

_"We did it, Ar'n. Maloy's dead,"_ Paul's voice said from the chatter.

Ar'n shook his head as Toma crossed his arms smugly. "And you did not tell us?"

_"Didn't need to. This was our kill."_

"Our?" Ar'n said as Toma chuckled.

"I tried to tell him Captain, but he wouldn't listen to me."

_"Yes our, as in me and Ro. How is your leave going, Toma?"_

"Just fine. Marie, say hello to the Captain."

"Good morning sir," Marie said.

_"Ah, guten morgen Fräulein. Toma isn't being a pain is he?"_

"No, I have him under control."

"Under control," Toma repeated. "Would you like to see control?"

"We have a guest," Maria said lowly.

_"You have it under control. Toma, I'd hate to say this...but it sounds like you're whipped."_

"And that means," Toma trailed off questioningly.

_"Another time; this call is likely being monitored. Where are the others?"_

"Around," Ar'n answered shortly. "It's just Toma, Marie, and I in the room."

_"I see. You're in Aachen, then?"_

"Yes. Kya wanted to come to Earth again, so we're traveling the planet," Ar'n said. "We're almost through with Europe."

_"Enjoy your trip...while you can. We may be called back soon."_

"How soon?" Toma asked warily.

_"Within the month is my best guess, Toma. I don't like it anymore than you do." _The three heard a guard ask for Paul's identification. _"I've got to go, just boarded the ship. I'll see you when I see you."_

"Talk to you later, Captain," Ar'n said, ending the call afterward. "I will leave you two alone now. Kya doesn't like it when I go somewhere without her knowing."

As he closed the door, Toma looked down at Marie and nodded slightly towards the bedroom. "Now?" she said.

"Why not?"

Marie smirked. "You're in trouble this time."

"Oh no," Toma said dramatically.

_**Location: Command Deck, Shadow of Intent**_

_**Ship Clock: 09:00 hours**_

"It's done."

"Excellent," Rtas said. "Someone came aboard requesting to see you, Captain. He is in Interrogation Room 4B."

"Alright. Wait, interrogation room?"

"It is one of the few places to talk privately. If you think there may be trouble, I can have someone accompany you."

"That's fine. I can handle myself," Paul said, turning to leave.

"'Tsom," Rtas called as Rotje moved to leave. "I want you to keep an eye on him."

"But he said-"

"Just do it, Sergeant. There was something...strange about our visitor."

"Yes sir." Rotje quickly followed Paul through the corridors, making sure that he wasn't seen. After Paul entered 4B, Rotje moved to the room which contained a hologram of 4B's fourth wall. He quickly grabbed a stun baton from a wall rack upon seeing a familiar ONI officer in the room. _"Something strange, indeed," _he thought.

"You again?" he heard Paul say.

"Mr. Fulmer, I suggest you be careful of who you go after...without informing us first."

"Informing you?" Paul said with a small laugh. "I don't answer to you, spook."

Rotje saw the officer tense. "Maloy was useful, _Captain. _He could have given us vital information."

"Information that you could easily get without him," Paul retorted. "I know how ONI works."

"Do you?" the officer snorted.

"Yeah. It's not much different from the CIA, only much more dangerous. And, not unlike the CIA, they think they own everything." Paul folded his hands on top of the table. "So, what do you want? I mean, _really _want?"

"You should watch your back around your new _friends_, Captain. They're not to be trusted."

"I trust them more than I would someone like you. I played your games in the past. Well, no longer. Tell me, what does ONI want?" Paul looked at a few of devices that the officer placed on the table. "You want me to spy on them?"

"And track this ship."

"Well, I have a message for ONI," Paul said with a slight nod to the fourth wall. "Tell them that I'm not afraid of them. You told me that I should watch _my _back?" Paul chuckled. "You forgot to watch yours."

The officer turned as Rotje activated the baton's charge. "What the hell is this?"

"The message," Paul said as Rotje swung the baton, knocking the officer out.

"How did you know I was there?"

"It's an interrogation room, Ro. I knew."

"How did you know which wall was holographic?"

Paul tapped on his now-depolarized glasses. "Didn't you think there was a reason I wore these?" Rotje tilted his head. "It's what I use for my HUD. You still have your armor on, so I could see your outline through the hologram."

"How?"

"It's called VISR, the ODSTs use it in their helmets. Take your gear to the quartermaster and have it installed, it would only take a moment."

Rotje nodded. "What about him?"

Paul smirked and handed him a slip of paper. "Put him in a drop pod set for these coordinates."

"Where is this?"

"The Everglades in Florida, or what's left of them. He'll be fine."

Rotje shrugged and called for a couple of guards to move the unconcious man.

_**Location: Command Deck**_

"Shipmaster! A drop pod was just launched without authorization," the fire control officer called.

"Lifesigns?"

"One heartbeat, slow pace. It's a human."

Rtas sighed. "Ignore it. Captain Fulmer, please report to the Command Deck," he said, keying the ship's intercom. Paul calmly entered a few minutes later and approached Rtas. "What is this?" he said as Paul handed him a small bag.

"The reason you're missing a drop pod. ONI wanted me to plant listening and tracking devices on this ship, so I said no and sent that officer on his way," Paul said, crossing his arms.

"Hmm," Rtas said, examining one of the devices between his fingers. "Walk with me, Captain." Paul shrugged and followed him into the hall outside. "This was ONI's doing?"

"That's right."

"Now, if it had been one of your human comrades instead," Rtas trailed off questioningly.

"I would hate to say that my trust in them is ill-founded, but I don't really know how they would react. They're afraid of ONI, you see? They haven't played their little game before."

Rtas frowned, confused. "What have you done for them?"

"I can't tell you...and you wouldn't want to know if I could. Terrible things," Paul finished after a moment of silence.

"I see. Why a drop pod, then?"

Paul glanced to his left as a Spec Ops soldier passed. "To shake him up a bit, that's all."

"Just inform me next time, Captain Fulmer."

"Can do, sir."

Rtas nodded and handed the small bag back. "Destroy these immediately. They may be transmitting at this very moment." In response, Paul placed the bag on the floor and slowly ground his boot over it.

_**Date: Monday, May 22, 2559**_

_**Local Time: 05:47 hours**_

Toma lifted his head as his chatter quietly chimed on the nightstand, sighing as he read the text. "Damn it," he muttered.

"What?" Marie yawned. "Get your ass in gear, it's time to go," she read from the screen. "Who sent that?"

"My superior, Ahli."

"Do you have to go right away?"

Toma shook his head. "She will come by to get me. I would have to go if my ship were in orbit, but it left two weeks ago. I will have to go to the nearest UNSC installation, though."

"When?"

"Some time today, unfortunately. I really don't want to go back."

"I doubt anyone does, Toma. Let's just lie here for awhile."

Toma was about to respond when there was a loud knock on the front door. "Private First Class 'Ahur," a voice called from the hallway.

Toma grumbled as he slipped on his fatigues. "Yes?" he said tiredly, answering the door.

"Get your gear, squiddy. It's time to go," the Marine said.

"I'm sorry, did you just call me...squiddy?"

"Yeah, I did split-lip. You got a problem with it?"

Toma laughed as he slipped on his jacket. "Not at all, if that's the best you can do to try and insult me. Excuse me for a moment."

"Who was that, uncle?" Ehta said from her doorway.

Toma chuckled. "You can just call me by my name, Ehta. That was my ride."

"Your ride?"

"I am afraid so. Duty calls, young one." Seeing her sullen look, "Hey. I'll be back before you know it."

"Time's a-wastin'," the Marine called from the hallway.

"I'll be along in a moment. Impatient bastard," Toma muttered as he walked into the bedroom. "I am going to be completely honest with you, Marie. I am not sure when I will be coming back, if at all."

"You'll be back," she said dismissively. "You've made it this far, haven't you?" Toma didn't reply as he lifted his duffel bag. He paused in the doorway when a hand smacked on the rear. "Now go get 'em, Toma."

"A little warning next time?" Toma said with a chuckle as he walked for the still-open apartment door. "What?" he said, seeing the Marine's disgusted look.

"Nothin'."

"No, you have something to say. So, say it."

"That's just nasty."

"Quite frankly, my dear human, I don't give a damn," Toma said.

"Did you just reference _Gone with the Wind_?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You may turn out to be alright, afterall."

"Not all of us are the monsters you heard about in propaganda. Some of us are actually open-minded, decent individuals."

"You don't say," the Marine said absently.

"You don't go off-world very often, do you?"

"Nope. Don't want to, not after the things I've seen."

"Veteran?"

"Yep."

"I see," Toma said, climbing into the back of the large troop carrier.

"How old are you, anyway? You don't look like you've seen a lot of action," the Marine said, sitting across from him.

"Twenty years of age. Yourself?"

"Thirty-eight. Twenty and special operations, huh?"

Toma shrugged. "Yeah. And I've seen combat. Nothing compared to the hell I am sure you went through, but combat is combat."

"Don't you even try to compare what you've seen to what I've seen," the Marine said lowly.

"Don't listen to him," another Marine said. "This asshole right here just loves to hold a grudge."

"Fuck you, Rabbit."

"Nah, man. I don't swing that way, Dee."

Toma shook his head and watched the passing traffic as the two continued to argue back and forth. "Hey, what's-your-name." Toma quickly shook his head as the Marine called Dee kicked at his feet. "We're here."

"When did we arrive?"

"Just now. You fell asleep on the way in."

"Hmph. Hello Rotje, Captain," Toma said with a salute as he stepped off the truck.

"Good morning, Toma," Paul said, returning the gesture. "Ready?"

"I suppose."

Paul nodded. "Hey, Corporal."

"Yeah?" Rabbit called.

"That's 'yes sir', Corporal."

"Sorry, sir. Folks 'round here call me Rabbit, by the way."

"Okay...Rabbit. He give you any trouble?" Paul said, nodding towards Toma.

"Him? Nah, slept like a baby on the way over."

"A baby," Toma repeated.

"Yeah, a baby. Y'know, a child?"

"Whatever. So, what is this all about?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it can't be good," Paul said.

"When is it ever?" Rotje muttered.

"That's the spirit," Ar'n said sarcastically from behind them. "When do we go?"

"Whenever all of you are ready. Phantom's waiting nearby."

"And our vehicles?"

"We're leaving them, Ar'n. I _do _know that we'll be be back here after we gather everyone."


	15. Chapter 14: Anschlüsse

_Chapter XIV: Anschlüsse_

_**Location: Main Courtyard, SAF Military Installation **__**#1587**_

_**Date: Wedensday, May 10, 2559**_

_**Local Time: 08:00 hours**_

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen," Nazo said to the gathered fireteams. "You all know why you are here and that any news I may have will be bad, so I will just pass on what I have been told." He began to pace back and forth in front of the formation before continuing, "It would seem that our elimination of Frederick Ryan and Richard Maloy has _not _silenced the threat in the Southern United States on Earth. In fact, the rebellion has spread. From what I gather, they seem to think our actions were a signal for them to comepletely mobilize their forces. Yes, Captain Fulmer?"

"You said completely mobilize, sir?"

"I did, Captain. The fighting has spread beyond the state lines of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Despite the insurgents' outdated weaponry and lack of proper training, in their majority, UNSC _and _civilian casualties have been high."

"And we're being sent to...do what, exactly?" E'ros said.

"If you would allow me to finish, _Corporal_," Nazo said impatiently. "Since you all seem so eager to find out, I will put it bluntly. Some of you are being sent on Seek & Destroy missions. A few of you may not come back. Other teams are going to be handling High Value Targets. You will be told if they are needed dead or alive. All of you are dismissed, with the exception of each individual squad leader."

"Things just get better and better, eh?" Ahli muttered as she stopped next to Paul.

"You can say that again."

"Fulmer, 'Asar, your squads are being paired again," Nazo said. "You're going after this man, a high-ranking officer now leading the insurgency in the Arkansas countryside."

"These guys just don't know when to quit, do they?" Paul commented, skimming over the datapad. "Wait a minute. Are you sure this is our guy?"

"Positive, why?"

"He made it out of the Everglades quickly," Paul murmured. "This man is an ONI officer, Colonel."

"How can you be sure?" Ahli said.

"This man has been bothering me since we went on leave in October. Kept trying to get me to spy on you."

"On us?" Nazo said.

"On you, the Commander. Even the damn Council, as if I see them on a regular basis. Something tells me his actions are _not_ sanctioned by the government."

"And if they are?"

"Then we, all of us, are in a world of shit," Paul said dryly. "Do you want him dead or alive?"

"Alive, prefferably. The decision is ultimately up to you."

"When do we start?"

"Whenever you're ready."

Paul saluted. "The job will be done within 48 hours of our landing. Lets go, Ahli."

"Lead the way."

_**Location: Bailey Hollow Rural Community, Van Buren County, Arkansas**_

_**Date: Friday, May 12, 2559**_

_**Local Time: 05:00 hours**_

"This place is starting to become a thorn in my side," Ar'n sighed as he walked down a worn out country road, gunfire creating a disturbing orchestra in the distance.

"Only starting?" Alfred muttered across the road.

"Cut the chatter back there," Paul called from the front of the loose formation.

"I don't like this, Captain. We're too exposed out here," Ahli whispered from behind him.

"Just stay quiet and keep moving," Paul ordered. "We have the darkness on our side."

"The enemy has the landscape on theirs," Garek commented.

Paul held up a fist and waved his hands toward the ditch on either side of the road, the squad quickly getting in the trenches. "That house, on the right. Garek, do you see that?"

Garek looked to where he was pointing. "I see it."

"What is it?" Alfred whispered from the back.

"A nest," Paul whispered back.

"Shit. What kind?"

"I don't know."

"Anti-air and low-caliber artillery," Garek said. "From what I can see, 60mm mortars and 88mm flak cannons."

"88s? Those are _antiques_," Cesar commented.

"And no less effective," Paul said. "Anything else?"

"Other than the gun crews, nothing that I can see."

Paul nodded. "Okay, we're going to take them out."

"What?" Alfred said.

"You heard me. We're going to hit them hard and fast. Garek, leave your rifle here with Cesar."

"Why me?" Cesar said.

"I've seen how you get around artillery, especially pieces like these."

"We could use them against the enemy."

"How? We have no idea where they are. It's better to just destroy them and go on." They all turned as the mortars began to fire, lighting up the dark sky. "Ar'n, Alfred, sweep the house while we deal with the crews. When you're finished inside, plants charges on the guns. Got it? Let's get to it," Paul said as Alfred nodded.

"Lots of windows," Alfred commented. "Frags."

Ar'n nodded and hurled a stone at one of the windows, Alfred's grenade following not a second after. "Shit! Gre-", the insurgent was cut off as the blast tore the room to shreds.

Ar'n jumped up the steps and through the shattered window. _"Some fortification," _he thought sarcastically. "Clear," he called after quickly sweeping the small rooms.

"Any sign of the family that might have owned this place?" Alfred said as he walked back outside.

"No. If anyone lived here before this, it has been quite some time. Most of the rooms were completely empty."

Alfred shrugged. "Sounds like they've had their fun, let's go."

As the others set up a perimeter and Alfred set the charges, Ar'n began looking through the small gun battery. "What do we have here?" he murmured.

"What?" Alfred said, not looking away from his charges.

"I found a portable computer," he said, opening it. "Damn! It's encrypted."

"Well, you're our techie, so decrypt it."

"I'm going to need more than just my field tools for this."

"What's the hold up?" Paul called from across the lawn.

"Pack it up, let's get away from here before we attract unwanted attention."

Ar'n nodded and placed the small computer in his pack. "What's the hold up?" Paul repeated as they walked over. "We need to get moving, enemy chatter has increased."

"I found this," Ar'n said, revealing the computer. "How are you listening to enemy comm chatter?" he said as Paul examined the device.

"Their channels aren't encrypted like this laptop. I recognize this coding structure."

"Are you a tech expert, too?" Alfred joked lightly.

"No," Paul answered seriously. "This is an ONI-coded encryption, Ar'n. Have fun getting in," he said, handing the laptop back.

Ar'n scoffed. "I've gotten through ONI encryption before."

"This is different. Section Three," Paul said to Ar'ns puzzled look.

"Once we're back on the ship, come see me after a few hours. I'll have it ready." No one looked back as the explosion lit up the dark sky about a quarter of a mile behind them.

As the sun began to rise, the distant gunfire had ceased and Garek could hear birds making their calls. "What is that?" he said, seeing a large black bird.

"A crow," Paul stated. "In superstition, it's a bad sign."

"Good thing you're not the superstitious type."

"That's where you'd be wrong. Everyone spread out, seven to eight meters."

_**Location: Interrogation Room #36, Orbital MAC Station "Cairo"**_

_**Date: Present Day; Thursday, December 22, 2560**_

_**Station Clock: 13:57 Hours**_

"Hold up," the officer said. "Could you get to the part where you went after Kirkendall? My time was just cut short."

"You said you wanted _all _the details," Garek huffed. "Very well. It turns out there was more on that computer than Ar'n had found at first..."

_**Location: SAF Military Installation **__**#1587**_

_**Date: Monday, September 26, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 12:34 Hours**_

Garek turned as Ar'n sprinted over to him and Rotje, the latter performing maintenance on his now-red Jeep. "Where is the Captain?" he said quickly.

"In the Colonel's office. Why?" Rotje said without looking away from the engine compartment.

Ar'n didn't answer and immediately began running towards the Officer's Quarters. "I wonder what has him so excited," Garek thought aloud. "Anyway, how about that Spartan?"

"Which one?"

"You know exactly which one I'm talking about."

Rotje paused in his work and peeked around the hood. "He's an odd one."

Garek scoffed. "He is more than just odd."

"Then you've seen him more than I have. What makes him more than 'just odd'?"

"It's beyond my ability to explain, Rotje. You will just have to see for yourself."

"That's unfortunate, Garek," Rotje said, closing the hood and latching it. "I don't plan on seeing him any more than that one time."

"Then don't turn around."

"Okay, I won't."

"Y'know," a voice suddenly said from behind Rotje. "I don't need you to look for me to whoop that ass."

"Oh gods, here we go," Garek murmered.

"So, what track you want your ass whooped to? I got just about anything you could think of."

"I highly doubt that you could 'whoop my ass', as you put it," Rotje said over his shoulder.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Man, you don't know who you're de-"

"No, you don't know who _you're _dealing with," Rotje interrupted, turning. Garek could tell that he was slightly surprised at not having to look down at the Spartan. "Go ahead, throw a punch. I'll _humour_ you."

"Zuto," someone called from across the garage. "Leave him alone."

"You're no fun, Cap," the Spartan muttered.

"What is this all about?" Paul sighed. "A _don't _say Africa. It gets old, Mabane."

"Man," the Spartan drawled out. "I was just messin' with the little nigga."

"Little? And, what is that?" Rotje whispered to Garek, the latter simply shrugging.

"Zuto, make yourself scarce," Paul suddenly ordered. "We need some of that new equipment that just came in."

"Equipment?" the Spartan said, as if forgetting the situation entirely.

"You know, what you do for a living? _That _equipment."

"Right. Yessir."

Paul sighed heavily as the Spartan exited. "That man is the bane of my existence, I swear. Anyway, it's time."

"Time?" Rotje said, leaning against Jeep's grille. "Time for what?"

Paul crossed his arms and smirked. "Time to go hunting. Get geared up."

Garek and Rotje looked at each other as Paul walked away. "Finally," Garek said. Soon, everyone was gathered for the briefing. _"Why am I not surprised?" _Garek thought when he saw Foxtrot off to his right. "Is this everyone?"

"This is it," Paul said with a nod; he didn't use formalities in his briefings. "Well, we'll have two other people joining us on this mission."

"Who?" Ahli said from her spot.

"The Colonel...and that Spartan." He held up a hand as everyone simultaneously sighed. "I don't like it anymore than you do. He'll mainly be there to document the weapons' performance."

"Weapons?" Rotje said with interest.

"Yeah, some news toys for us to play with; more about those later. Now, everyone in my squad knows what this is about, but Foxtrot here _may _need to be informed."

"I know who we're going after," Ahli said. "And, excuse my impatience...but, can we just go?"

"In a moment," Paul snickered. "Ar'n, show us what we'll be dealing with."

"Gladly. It looks like we will be in yet another warzone, this time in Asia. Vietnam, specifically. Our main objective is this area," Ar'n said, pointing to a highlighted section of the map. "But, HighCom wants us to insert in the city of Hanoi, here, first, to assist our allies there. Our secondary objectives are here, here, and here." As he highlighted each location, a small picture popped up.

"What are they?" E'ros said.

"This is a comms array, the second is a SAM site, and the third is a heavily fortified bunker. And when I say heavily fortified, yes, they have tanks and artillery, along with your usual emplacements."

"Excellent," E'ros said with a grin.

"Do you have anything else on the bunker?" Paul said.

"Unfortunately, no. Even with that encryption, they played it smart. Now, we'll have to be careful. This place is comepletely urban, much like Little Rock from two years ago. The streets are tight, but there is little need to worry about civilians; most, if not all, were evacuated by the insurgents."

"Maybe they aren't heartless bastards, afterall," Toma muttered.

"Don't expect mercy if you are caught, Toma. I did find a list of names; POWs, all of which were executed...on film."

"I take back what I said, then."

"It says that the bunker has fifteen levels on the interior, but the blueprints only show seven." Ar'n brought up the document to show everyone. "There's a staircase here, but it just ends."

"Troop strength?" Q'to said.

"No less than two thousand, that much I can say for sure. That is really all I could get out of this thing."

"Destroy it," Paul said suddenly. "We don't need it anymore."

"Of course," Ar'n said, retrieving a small EMP charge.

"Outside, Ar'n," Paul sighed. "We need everthing else in here."

"No, it's fine. This charge is only directed into whatever it's attached to."

"That's new."

"Created it myself. It wasn't that difficult." Ar'n began explaining how the charge worked, more to himself than anyone else. The charge glowed cyan for a split second before a small crackle was heard and the laptop screen and keys went black.

"Impressive," Paul said.

"I try," Ar'n said with a shrug.

"Let's load up. The Colonel and our equipment should be on the ship already."

_**Location: City of Hanoi, Vietnam**_

_**Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 04:06 Hours**_

_**5 Minutes From Insertion...**_

"Bradley, I can't decide. Should I tell you to turn it up or turn it off?" Paul said as Fortunate Son played over the Hornet's loudspeaker.

"Turn it off," Nazo groaned. "I can't hear myself think."

_"Yer loss, Colonel."_

"Why did you come with us, Colonel?" Garek said as he examined the XM3 in his hands.

"To coordinate with the local commanders. As tough as you all may be, you will _not_ be able to do this alone."

_"I beg to differ," _E'ros said from the second Hornet.

_"Careful, E'ros. That kind of attitude can get you killed," _Ahli said.

_"Whatever you say."_

_"Don't start."_

"Cool it, both of you. We're at our LZ," Paul said.

As they stepped off of the aircraft, they were greeted by a SAF and UNSC officer, each saluting to Nazo. "Who might you two be?" Nazo said after returning the gesture.

"I am Ultra Q'rik 'Ramos with the 467th Assault Group," the tan-armored Sangheili answered. He removed his helmet to reveal a heavily scarred face and two bright-yellow eyes, the left being more pale than the right.

"What's the matter with him?" Alfred whispered to Ar'n.

"He's blind in his left eye."

"This way, Colonel," the human officer, Lt. Colonel Trinh, said. "Do you have any more troops with you?"

"As of now, this is it. I can have more deployed in a moments notice, if need be." The human nodded and waved for Nazo to follow.

"Alright, let's head out. We already have our orders," Paul said, loading a magazine into his G36.

"You brought that thing?" Cesar said as he followed suit with his BR55.

"Don't underestimate it just because it's a smaller round."

"What's first?" Q'to said, loudly pulling the bolt back on his MG.

"Well, the smart thing to do would be deal to with the comms array. No comms, no reinforcements, or that's the idea. Any other questions?"

"Just one," Rotje said. "How the hell does this thing work?"

"Just like any other rifle," Mabane said shortly.

"Apparently not."

Garek sighed and pointed out each mechanism. "You should have looked at it on the way here. You fell asleep, didn't you?"

"I did not."

"You can't lie to me, Rotje."

"Hell, he can't lie to anybody," Ar'n said. "He's terrible at it."

"Why me?" Rotje muttered as he loaded his sidearm one round at a time.

"You set yourself up for it," Garek said as they exited the compound.

"I can't help it if I get tired in moving vehicles."

"You get tired everywhere. Maybe if you didn't stay up so late..."

"Enough," Paul sighed. "These guys could be anywhere, so maintain noise discipline."

Not another word was spoken as they slowly stalked the streets, keeping watchful eyes on each dark window, doorway, and alley. Everyone froze as they heard soldiers shouting in Vietnamese. Paul turned and shook his head as the insurgents ran across an intersection towards another part of the city.

"We're just lettin' 'em go?" Mabane whispered.

"Not our problem," Paul whispered back. "We'll only lend a hand if it's on the way to our objectives."

"That's not like you, Captain," Garek commented.

"You sure about that?"

Garek didn't reply as they continued down the street. _"I hope he doesn't stay like this after we find what he is looking for."_

"Don't plan on it, Lieutenant."

Garek cursed himself upon realizing he had muttered his thought. "How far is it?"

"Just a few more blocks. Or closer," Paul said, seeing the small communications tower. "Alfred, set a charge up there. Three minutes, no need to announce our presence just yet."

"You got it."

"Garek, watch his back."

Garek nodded and set his rifle's bipod on the hood of a burned-out car. "Are you sure this works, Spartan?"

"The silencer? Yeah, why?"

"Just curious." He watched through the scope as Alfred quickly scaled the wall to reach the tower on the roof. He was impressed when a quiet _thud_ put down a guard that got too close to the tower.

"Told ya." Garek simply nodded as he secured the rifle to his back and picked up the XM3 he had leaned against the car's fender. He looked toward the cloudy sky, hearing a missile launch from it's pod.

"That's the SAM site. Lets move!"

As the tower went up in flames, insurgents began running around every corner in front of them. "Gods, damn it all! They knew we were here the whole time," Toma shouted as he took cover.

"Corporal, Specialist! Lay down some fire on these assholes," Paul called as he reloaded.

"You go first," Q'to said. "Explosives to pin them, then I'll lay down the fire." E'ros nodded and shouldered his Type 33 as lightning lit up the night sky. He aimed for the highest concentration of enemy troops and sent two fuel rods up the street. As the first rod hit, Q'to tapped him on the shoulder and they quickly switched places.

_"Captain, I'm hearing sporadic weapons fire coming from your direction. Give me a situation report," _Nazo said as Q'to sprayed the street, lighting it with cyan tracers.

"Sitrep as follows," Paul shouted over the noise. "Really fucking bad! We have beaucoup hostiles and are holding position! Over!"

_"Location?"_

"About ten blocks from the SAM site, over!"

"Copy that, Captain. Continue to hold if you can." Nazo terminated the link and cursed. "What do we have available?"

"I have one squad awaiting instruction," Q'rik said.

"Send them out."

"Wait," Lt. Colonel Trinh said as the Ultra put on his helmet. "Our boys on the east side of town could use that support. Support that you failed to tell me about, 'Ramos."

"I can't give you support if you don't say you need any," the Ultra quipped.

"Gentlemen, please," Nazo said. "'Ramos, since you were about to go out there yourself, take your best soldier and assist Captain Fulmer. Send the rest to the east."

"Yes sir." Q'rik quickly ran to his waiting troops. "Bravo 2, listen up! We are getting in this fight. Major 'Yosan!"

"Sir!"

"You're with me. The rest of you disperse toward the east, help those Marines. Move!"

"So," the Major said as the rest of Bravo 2 ran for the eastern gate. "We're heading out into the shit?"

Q'rik rolled his good eye behind his helmet. "Yes."

"Excellent," the Major said with a grin as he slid on his helmet. He ignited his sword and nodded, seeing that it was fully charged. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"An attitude like that will get you killed, Laro," Q'rik said.

"Why do you say that?"

Q'rik made sure they were standing in some good lighting and removed his helmet. "This is why," he said, facing the Major. "I was like you once. Do you see what I got for it?"

"By the Gods," Laro muttered. "What happened to you?"

"Check your corners and move fast," Q'rik said instead, replacing his helmet. "Let's go."

"Cease fire," Paul suddenly called.

"What? Are you insane?" Ahli hissed from a couple of feet away.

Paul pointed to the rooftops behind the insurgents' position. "Friendlies inbound."

Garek watched as two Energy Swords sparked to life on a rooftop, everyone else doing the same. There was silence for a moment before they saw the gathered insurgents turn around and look at the two swordsmen, both of which had loudly landed behind them. The leader began to scream an order when the shorter of the two charged and sliced the soldier's torso to ribbons. All of the insurgents turned on him while the taller swordsman began to skillfully cut through their line from behind.

Paul waved everyone out of cover. "Advance slowly. They've got it handled."

Everyone began running when the shorter swordsman suddenly screamed in agony and fell to the ground. As they stopped before him, the taller one calmly walked over. "What did I tell you, Major? Where?"

"I'm hit low, _Gods_!"

The tall Sangheili sighed while Paul said, "E'ros, get him out of here."

"Why me?"

"Because I picked you. Now, get to it and rush back here!"

"Yes sir." E'ros bent down and picked up the shorter Sangheili, putting him over his shoulder and quickly running toward the compound.

"'Ramos, I see you came to lend a hand," Paul said. "Who was that?"

"That was Major Laro 'Yosan. He was _supposed_ to be my best swordsman, but I may need to reevaluate my troops."

"So, you're it?"

"I suppose," Q'rik shrugged. "I had to send the rest of my squad to the east side of the city."

"An extra set of hands is better than none," Paul said. "How's your aim?"

"Extraordinary...for someone with one good eye. I'm under your command Captain, this is your mission," he said with his head bowed.

"Welcome to the group," Paul said, shaking Q'rik's hand. "Grab that shotgun and take point if we have to clear any rooms." Q'rik nodded and took a M45 from one of the fallen insurgents.


	16. Chapter 15: Endless Insanity

_Chapter XV: Endless Insanity_

_**Location: City of Hanoi, Vietnam**_

_**Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 05:02 Hours**_

"Captain Fulmer, it has been a while since your last report. What progress have you made?" Nazo sighed after not receiving a response. "'Ramos."

_"Yes?"_

"Is Captain Fulmer with you?"

_"Negative, Colonel. He left me in control of the squad while he, two other Sangheili, and the Spartan went to scout the enemy bunker about fifteen minutes ago."_

"Damn it," Nazo muttered. "Why was I not informed sooner, 'Ramos?"

_"We were busy."_

"I am recinding Captain Fulmer's order. You are to leave that position and link back up with him. Understood?"

_"Sorry, Colonel. I can't do that."_

"Why not?"

_"The Captain said that this was personal."_

Nazo quickly switched back to Alpha's comm channel. "Captain Fulmer, respond."

_"Captain Fulmer, respond." _Garek groggily shook his head as his vision began to focus.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake." Garek grunted as a boot kicked him in the side.

"Stand them up, Mabane," an unfamiliar voice said.

"You bitch," Garek heard Rotje snarl as his vision finally became clear.

"Elite," the woman said shortly, picking up a headset. "I'm afraid that Captain Fulmer can't talk right now."

_"Who is this?"_

"It's not important...but you can guess, if you'd like."

_"Kirkendall."_

"The very same. Now, I have some demands."

_"We do not make negotiations."_

Kirkendall smirked as the link went dead. "Well, it looks like you two are finished."

"Two? There's three of us," Garek said in confusion, his head still swimming from the Spartan's blow.

"Yes, and two of you are Elites. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Not exactly." Garek winced, finally noticing that his left mandibles were broken.

"Your kind is either naturally oblivious, or just stupid," Kirkendall sighed. "Your Captain is going to be...hmm, how to put this? Reeducated. Take them to the cells, Mabane; we'll deal with them later."

"Yes ma'am."

"I knew we couldn't trust you," Rotje spat the Spartan led him down a corridor.

"And humanity should trust _you_?"

Neither of them said anything as an energy barrier, not unlike those used on Covenant and SAF ships, closed him in the small cell.

_"'Ramos."_

Q'rik sighed quietly as he activated the comm link. "Yes, Colonel?"

_"Move to that bunker, now. The scouting party has been compromised."_

"How is that possible?" Ar'n said.

"They were betrayed," Alfred said lowly from the back of the group, making everyone turn. Everyone sans Q'rik raised their rifles, seeing Lieutenant Madera with his pistol to the back of Alfred's head.

"I've been waiting for this opprotunity for a long time," Cesar said. "Now, I'm going to back away slowly and-"

"Put it down," E'ros suddenly growled. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"What will you do if I don't?"

E'ros's response was to fire two bursts from each of his SMGs into the Lieutenant's chest. "That," he said simply, sliding the weapons into their holsters as Cesar drowned in his own blood.

"We're moving, Colonel. It would seem that we have a traitrous Spartan to go after," Ahli said.

_"Understood, Staff Sergeant. Good luck."_

"What?" Alfred said as everyone kept their rifles on him. "I'm not in on it."

"I hope you understand if we don't immediately take your word for it. Let's go," Q'rik said.

"Wake up, Captain."

"Good morning, _Jennifer_," Paul said bitterly.

"I suppose you're here for little ol' me?"

"Me, specifically? No. You know what _I_ came here for."

"Of course. Sorry about that, but it had to be done."

Paul laughed. "Had to be done? Since when is killing someone's wife and kidnapping their child something that 'had to be done'?"

"It's how things work, Captain. You take something, and something is taken from you in return. Eye for an eye."

"Taking away one of your _many _arms dealers justified _that_?"

"Yes," she said coolly.

"Where is my daughter?"

"You'll get to see her soon enough. We just need to teach you a few things first."

"Oh, schooling, how fun," Paul said sarcastically. "Now, uncuff me so I can kill you."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Just look at the screen in front of you." Paul spat at her feet in reply. "You always had to do things the hard way," she sighed, keying in a few commands at a terminal. Paul grunted as a clamp secured his head in place. "Now, watch and be enlightened."

Garek looked over at the barrier as heavy bootsteps approached. "Come to gloat? That's what you do, is it not?"

"Nah," Mabane said. "I'm here to do my job."

"And what would that be?"

The Spartan pressed a button on the wall beside the barrier, which deactivated it and the cuffs securing Garek and Rotje's hands. "Someone had to get you on the inside."

"Take off your helmet," Rotje said calmly, rubbing his wrists.

Mabane shrugged and doffed the E.V.A. helmet. His head jerked sharply as Rotje's fist connected with his jaw. "Alright...I guess I deserved that," he said, wiping blood from his lip with a thumb.

"You _guess_? You really are an asshole," he growled.

"And that's why ya'll love me," Mabane said. "Now, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Garek said.

"To the armory, obviously." Mabane halted and looked at them, depolarizing his visor. "Unless you wanna fight your way outta here unarmed," he said with a grin.

"Yeah...no. You're unusually quiet, Rotje."

"I have nothing to say."

Garek shrugged and let his friend fume. "Where are all the guards?"

"We're on the bottom level. The guards don't even know this place exists."

"That's...convenient. What about the Captain's daughter?"

"Now, that I don't know. The Major wouldn't tell me."

Garek sighed as he began replacing all of his gear. "What do think we should do about him?" he said once they were alone.

"I don't know about you, Garek, but I'm going to beat the hell out of him," Rotje said, slapping a magazine into an XM3 and strapping it to his back.

"At least wait until we're done here?"

"Of course. Who do you think I am? E'ros?"

They shared a quick laugh before Mabane reentered the armory. "You ready?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I'm going to set off the failsafe and we can have a little fun."

"Failsafe?"

"Yep, an EMP. It'll disable the security in this place and most of the armor outside."

"Again, convenient. Why would she have a failsafe that disables her own security and assets?"

"Believe it or not, she has friends in high places."

"You can't be serious," Rotje grumbled.

"One of the few times I actually am. How else do you think I was able to get in here? You see, ONI is falling apart." Mabane paused to key in the commands for the EMP. "More like tearing itself apart from the inside."

"And your goverment is just letting it happen?"

"Yep. If ONI dies, its secrets die with it."

"Unless someone released those secrets..."

The Spartan wheeled around. "Are you stupid? That would start a war worse than the one that ended almost ten years ago. We would be fighting you and ourselves at the same time. Some secrets are better left buried, little man."

"What the hell?" Toma said as the lights went out in a five block radius.

"Now's our chance, let's get in there," Q'rik ordered as he began running for the seventeen-foot-high wall.

"I don't know how he plans to get up there," Alfred said.

"He is a freerunner, like most soldiers in SAF Assault Groups. I believe you humans have a name for it," Ar'n said.

"Parkour." Alfred shook his head. "You know a lot of random shit."

"I like having information," Ar'n shrugged.

"Sir, you could have just taken the door," Ahli said as she approached Q'rik's cover.

"That's the obvious way in, Staff Sergeant. The enemy never expects one man to jump over a wall like that at them."

"Well, we're limited in our ability to free run, so we really had no other choice."

"It's too quiet," Toma commented. "There should be guards all over this place."

"They are likely inside, since their equipment out here is useless."

"What are we waiting for?" E'ros said impatiently. "Let's go in after them."

"E'ros, do you want to be in Major Yosan's position? I am not carrying _your_ ass out of here if you go down," Ahli said.

"Some sister you are."

"You two are siblings?" Q'rik said absently as he tried to open a door. "Locked," he sighed.

"It may be locked, but we're not locked out," Alfred said, approaching the door. "You should probably find some cover." Everyone crouched behind random objects as he set a charge on the door. Once he was finished, he crouched next to Ar'n and brought out the detonator with a smirk. "Knock-knock."

Garek stopped as red emergency lights came on and an alarm began to blare throughout the corridor. "_Perimeter breach. All avaiable personnel report to Level 1 immediately."_

"I thought that you disabled the security," Rotje said, left hand reaching for his sidearm.

"Looks like she has a back-up generator in a hard case, and no, I don't know where it is. Now, this ain't a bad thing."

"How do you figure?" Garek said, cautiously raising his rifle.

"Now we got light and some sound to cover our footsteps."

"Um, Spartan. We have company," Rotje said from behind them.

Garek glanced at Mabane after seeing a squad of eight ODSTs run around the corner. "I'll handle it," the Spartan said, stepping in front of the two. "Stand down, troopers! Get to the surface, I can handle these two."

"Open fire!"

Mabane quickly ripped a steel door off its hinges and held it in front of him. "Run!"

"I'll handle it," Rotje said in a mocking tone.

"Hey, fuck you. Just run."

"Run where? You know more about this place than we do," Garek shouted as he ran backwards and returned fire around the door.

"Left," Mabane shouted upon reaching the end of the corridor.

"We have some cover, we should fight back," Garek said as the ODSTs continued to fire down the corridor.

"There's no time! We need to keep going."

"Go. I'll cover you."

"Rotje-"

"Just go, I'll see you on the surface." Rotje paused to reload. "Trust me."

They clasped their left hands together. "Give them hell, brother."

Rotje grinned as he let go. "You can count on it." He leaned against the wall for cover and switched to his XM3. As the ODST fire paused he called, "Hey troopers!"

"What, split-lip?"

"The odds here are technically in my favor!" Rotje thumbed a switch on the underside of the rifle, causing a quiet _hum _to emit from the weapon.

"How do you figure?"

"I have shielding...and better equipment." With that, Rotje leaned around the corner and squeezed a trigger on the rifle's foregrip. The small secondary barrel shone bright blue for less than a millisecond before launching an orb no larger than a penny.

"What the fuck?" he heard one of the ODSTs say as the object stuck to him. Rotje couldn't help but smirk as he heard the familiar sound of a plasma grenade charging for detonation. "Oh shi-" The trooper was cut off as the projectile detonated, sending liquid plasma and shrapnel from various pieces of the soldier's armor flying in all directions, killing two others and severly wounding or burning another four.

Rotje slowly peeked around the corner to see the remaining ODST raise his MA5C, only to curse when he noticed that the end of the barrel had melted. Rotje let the rifle hang by the strap as he brought out his sidearm. "You see?" he said casually, striding toward the soldier with the sidearm hanging loosely at his side. "Tell me where the Captain is, and _maybe _you will live to see daylight."

"He's up two-"

"And take that helmet off. I want to know if you're lying to me."

The soldier hesitantly complied and looked Rotje in the face. "He's up two levels, third corridor on the left, the last door. It's a dead end, you can't miss it."

Rotje nodded and holstered the weapon, hearing the honest tone in the human's voice. "You should probably run now." The soldier nodded and quickly started running the way he had come. "And if I see you a second time, you will _not_ be so lucky," he called as the ODST rounded the corner. "Garek, did you catch that?"

_"Every word. We have already passed that level in this lift, but there's a second waiting for you."_

Rotje idly rubbed the blackened wall with a claw, leaving a trail in the soot. "See you in a few minutes."

"Incoming!" Everyone pressed into the small depressions they had taken for cover.

"Goddamn it," Alfred shouted as shards of insta-crete cut into the right side of his face and hands.

"Specialist, Corporal! Fire discipline," Q'rik called from his position.

"We're kind of pinned down, in case you haven't noticed," E'ros called. "And I only have three rounds left!"

"Toma," Ahli called, tossing him a grenade; he had the best position in the group.

He caught it and nodded. "Grenade going out! Cover!" He pulled the pin and allowed the safety lever to fall from it before tossing the explosive over his left shoulder and around the corner. "Ahli," he called back as the explosion shook the corridor. He reached into a pouch and retrieved a magazine.

"Thank you," she called back, catching it and promptly reloading. "Any time, Q'to!" Q'to sunk into a crouch and exposed his right flank, bringing the MG to bear. "What are you waiting for?"

He watched as silhouettes emerged from their cover and began moving slowly toward their still-lighted position. "Now." The shadowy areas glowed for a fraction of a second as the tracers zoomed down the corridor, striking many of the soldiers.

"Push them back outside," Q'rik shouted as Q'to took cover to swap belts. Everyone turned and began firing into the darkness, slowly walking foward as they did. One of the troops shouted an order, and the few remaining silhouettes sprinted though the hole Alfred had created twenty minutes before. "Fall back and reposition."

"What?" E'ros said. "Now's our chance!"

"There are more of them out there, Corporal. Walking through that hole would be suicide."

"And it's not suicidal to stay here?"

"Ammo count?" Q'rik said, deciding not to argue.

"Low," everyone said simultaneously.

"Gather ammo and grenades. If you don't have the right type, just grab a weapon," Q'rik said, picking up a bandolier of shotgun shells and three frags.

"E'ros," Ar'n said, kicking a case of rockets across the floor. "The launcher is right beside you."

"I've always wondered how well these worked," E'ros mumbled as he hefted the M19 SSM launcher.

"You could ask Rotje if you _really_ want to know," Ar'n said as he quickly loaded rounds one at a time into one of his empty magazines.

"What do you mean?"

"He was in a mobile infantry division before this; was the turret gunner in Spectres, mostly."

"Hmm."

"Where should we fall back to?" Alfred said. "There aren't a lot of choices."

"I want two of you in these offices, every other door. Those on our right, one of you should watch the windows," Q'rik said, walking for an office in the middle of the corridor. Everyone followed suit, trying not to slip on the quickly-pooling blood, piles of shell casings, and chunks of debris.

Rotje slowly pushed open the door to the room they had awoken in. He easily found Paul after activating the VISR technology in his helmet. "Captain?" he said cautiously.

"Ro? I figured that you might have something to do with the blackout. Is Garek with you?"

"No, I'm alone."

"He went after Mabane, then?"

"Again, no...the Spartan 'betrayed' us to get us inside."

Paul scoffed. "Hell of a plan. I just wish I would have known about it."

"You and me both. My head still hurts like hell," Rotje said as he stood before the terminal, looking over the keys.

"What?" Paul said after Rotje sighed.

"It's in Vietnamese. The keyboard, I mean."

"Knowing Kirkendall, you should just press the Escape key. Top-left corner."

Rotje pressed the key, and an audible _beep-click _was heard. "Seriously?" he muttered in disbelief.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Paul commented, rubbing his wrists. "And yes, seriously. The problem with her is, she never expects someone to disobey her orders...or lie to her."

"A foolish mindset to have."

"Indeed," Paul said, replacing his gear and opening a private channel. "How are we looking?"

_"Captain?"_

"Who did you expect? Buddha?"

_"Who?"_

"Never mind," he sighed. "What's the situation?"

_"Hmm. Several things come to mind..."_

"Just pick one, Garek." He heard a voice in the background, followed by Garek's sigh.

_"Shitty."_

"Tell Mabane to stop being a bad influence on you. And, that's not what I meant."

_"I'm not sure. You were lucky to contact me at all, our comms wouldn't work down there."_

"Where are you now?"

_"On the stairs between levels two and three."_

"Hold there, we're on our way to you," Paul said, exiting the room with Rotje close behind.

"Something's not right," Alfred said as he took out a can of chewing tobacco.

"Something has gone right since we got here?" Ar'n said dryly as he watched the window in the office.

"You know what I mean, smart-ass. All those guys out there...they could easily come in here and slaughter us, but they're just sitting around."

Ar'n turned and gave him a strange look. "Are you _really_ complaining about them staying out there?"

"No, I'm just saying it's strange. What, you don't think so?"

"Oh no, I agree with you. I just don't see the need to share it. Wait," he suddenly said, seeing a pair of headlights approaching the gate. "A civilian Warthog?"

"Oh, shit."

"What?"

"She's getting way, that's what!"

In the room across from them, Q'rik tilted his head as his comm chimed. "Yes?"

_"What's your situation, 'Ramos?"_

"Could be worse, Colonel. We're pinned inside the bunker and low on ammunition."

_"Casualties?"_

"Plenty of dead enemies."

_"I meant _our _casualties."_

"None, so far. Apart from some cuts and bruises, we're fine."

_"Status on the scouting party?"_

"Still missing."

_"Damn it. Have you-"_

_"Found us?" _

"Lieutenant?"

_"Yes. Captain Fulmer and Rotje are on their way to us, Colonel."_

There was an audible sigh of relief. _"Excellent. Wait, how did you get free?"_

_"The Spartan didn't actually betray us. He had joined forces with Kirkendall simply to get us inside this place, or so he says. It would have been nice to know about the plan ahead of time, though."_

_"Oh, shut up. Yeah, I didn't tell you about it, but it worked, didn't it?"_

_"That doesn't make my headache and broken mandiles go away."_

_"Whatever. Pessimistic asshole."_

Paul couldn't help but chuckle as he listened. "Jesus, you two are like an old married couple."

"Shara better watch her back."

_"Very funny."_

"Colonel, Kirkendall ran after the lights went out here. What was up with that, anyway?"

_"EMP, Cap."_

"Hmm. What are things like on the surface, 'Ramos?"

_"Could be better, could be worse."_

"That's good...wait, what?"

_"We're low on ammo and stuck here, but no one is injured."_

"Ah, I see. We're on our way up there now, so be ready."

As the elevator rose to level eight, Rotje handed Paul his XM3 and remaining ammunition. "I prefer my Type 31," he said to Paul's raised brow. "I see she didn't take your sidearm."

"Again, she doesn't think of all the possible outcomes. She expects things to go _her_ way."

"Again, very foolish."

"No, it's just stupid. Now, lets fight our way out of here, shall we?"

Nazo looked up sharply as gunfire erupted from several .50 caliber emplacements within the compound. "Great. I was afraid of this," Trinh said.

"Afraid? I expected it," Nazo returned, grabbing his Type 51 DER/I and priming the core's charge. "I hope you haven't forgotten how to fight, Lt. Colonel." He stopped a SAF soldier upon exiting the command tent. "What's the situation?"

"Uh...Colonel, sir," the Minor began. "The humans report enemy troops attempting to breach our defenses to the north."

"Take ten others and lend them a hand."

"Yes sir."

Nazo quickly looked around and found that Q'rik's soldiers had returned from the east. "Major, get your warriors ready to defend the northern gate."

"So that's where they ran off to," the Major mumbled. "We're ready if you are, Colonel."

Nazo nodded and began giving orders as he walked. "First of all, we need to move any wounded away from the wall, if possible. If someone is unable to fight, take their weapon. I hope you're not shy about using human equipment..."

"We don't like them Colonel, but if we have to, we'll put them to good use."

"That's what I wanted to hear, Major. Who is in command here?" Nazo called upon reaching the defensive line.

A medic turned from a wounded soldier. "You are, sir."

Nazo looked up and down the wall, not liking the Marines' positioning. "Spread out. You're too close together." After they had gotten two to three meters apart, "I want every other soldier to lay down suppressive fire. While those reload, the others will take thier place and do the same." The Marines nodded and waited for a break in the enemy's fire. "Now!" Half of the forty assembled soldiers placed their rifles on the parapet and began cutting down any that were exposed in the street. Nazo shook his head as an odd sense of satisfaction entered his mind at hearing the people screaming beyond the wall. _"Those days are over."_ He lifted his head as the sound of large motors and catepillar tracks became audible over the gunfire. "Do we have any anti-armor equipment?"

"That's a negative, Colonel," a Marine called. "What little we had has already been used, or is out in the city!"

"Get off the wall and fall back into the surrounding buildings! The compound is about to be breached!"

A private froze as he looked up the street. "What the hell? Scorpions?"

Nazo cursed under his breath and grabbed the human, half dragging him from the wall as the first tank opened fire. He blinked when he found himself on the ground a moment later, absently grabbing the Marine's collar as he stood. He looked back upon noticing how much lighter the human felt. "Ugh." He quickly looked away from the gorey sight and kept running for the designated fall back position.

"Where are they going?" Ar'n said as we watched squad after squad leave the bunker's exterior compound.

"Bigger fish to fry?"

"What?"

"Somewhere else to be? Better things to do? You know?" Alfred said. "You mean to tell me that you guys don't have sayings like that?"

"None that I know of. Where could they be...oh, no."

"The compound."

"Sir, we need to go after them."

"After who?"

"The enemy. They are leaving to attack the UNSC compound in the city center."

"Let's wait for the others to arrive first."

"Already here," Paul said. As everyone cautiously eyed Mabane, "I know things haven't gone...er, according to plan. Mabane is on our side, I assure you. Where's Lieutenant Madera?"

"Lying in a pool of blood about four blocks away," E'ros said coolly.

"I see. 'Ramos, take everyone back to the compound while Garek and Rotje go with me after Kirkendall. As I said before, this is personal."

"Perhaps you'll excuse us if we don't want to go anywhere with him," Ahli said, indicating Mabane.

Paul sighed. "Mabane, since you can handle yourself, head west for a few blocks and flank them." Ahli nodded her thanks as the Spartan immediately took off. "Now go. Don't want him to beat you there."

"So, how are we going to do this?" Rotje said as the others headed off.

"We head to our primary objective, find Kirkendall, and kill her," Paul said with a shrug.

"You make sound as if it's going to be simple."

"Oh, it won't, not in the slightest."

"Then why is it just us three?" Garek said.

"We can move faster and more easily with just the three of us."

"Sounds to me like you want to be some kind of hero."

"There will be plenty of time for that when I'm dead, Ro."

"You, uh...you do plan on making it out of this, right?"

"I would say no, but I still have something to lose."

"Just making sure you weren't taking us on a suicide mission."

"You know what you signed up for, Ro. Don't start having second thoughts on me now."

"Can we just go?"

"Of course. Garek, you ride shotgun. Ro, take the turret."

"Oh, now this takes me back," Rotje mumbled with a smirk.


	17. Chapter 16: For What It's Worth

_Chapter XVI: For What It's Worth_

_**Location: City of Hanoi**_

_**Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 07:45 Hours**_

"Let's get a move on, we're losing darkness."

"How do you think things are going in the city?"

"Can't say, Ro. Likely bad, but it could be worse."

"Hmm."

"You would rather be there, wouldn't you?"

"No. We had a deal."

_**09:24 Hours**_

"Gunners, keep you fire up," Nazo shouted over the constant drum of gunfire. Noticing that a .50 had gone quiet, "Keep water on those damn barrels!"

"How do you know the oldest trick in the book?" a Marine Corporal said from his left.

"This isn't my first encounter with your .50 caliber weapons, human," came the clipped response.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's a veteran, ya moron," a Gunnery Sergeant snapped.

Nazo tilted his head at the strange accent. "Where are you from?"

"The Bronx, New York City. In the Americas," he elaborated as Nazo raised a brow.

"You're a long way from home, Gunnery Sergeant."

"Not near as far as you, Colonel."

"Indeed," he said slowly, hearing a strange sound; nothing. Peeking over the low wall that prvided their cover, he blinked. "They are...retreating?"

"What?" the Corporal said, exposing his torso. As Nazo moved to pull him back down, he violently crumpled to the ground.

"Medic!"

"No! Stay where you are," Nazo shouted as a corpsman began to stand, causing him to pause. "They are trying to pick us off!" Looking to the now-still Corporal, "There is no helping him, anyway." He cringed as an antique loudspeaker was switched on.

_"Good morning, Marines." _Nazo curled his mandibles into an ugly scowl upon recognizing the speaker's voice. _"Lay down your weapons and walk away. Give us the Elites and you will not be harmed."_

"I'm going to kill that traitrous bastard."

"Not if I get to him first, Colonel. I always thought somethin' was up with that gook Lt. Colonel."

"What is that?"

"A gook?" The Gunnery Sergeant said. "Ya see, it's a-" He was cut short as a _bang _caused the loudspeaker to screech.

_"We are sorry to interrupt this scheduled broadcast to bring you some new programming." _Nazo tiredly rubbed his eyes upon recognizing the new voice.

"Who's that?"

"You don't want to know, Sergeant."

_"This station will now broadcast some lovely music so you Marines can start your morning right. You're up, fellas." _Nazo sighed heavily as the music filled the air.

"Stealers Wheel?" a female Marine said with a scoff nearby. "You _can't_ be serious."

"Marines," Nazo began. "Allow me to introduce the voice and mannerisms of Sierra-262, Mabane Zuto. I apologize."

Q'rik quickly tuned out the music and turned to the waitng squad. "Okay, this is it. Pick your targets carefully, conserve as much ammo as possible. Let's move out."

"Q'to, that means no hip-firing," Ahli interjected.

"I got that much."

"Don't take that tone with me, Specialist."

Q'to scoffed. "So, it's like that?"

"Yes, it is. Deal with it."

He tapped a claw against his helmet and quickly took it away; a mock human salute. "Yes ma'am."

As everyone moved passed the two, she whispered, "We are going to have a talk when this is over."

Q'to smirked. "A long talk?"

She rolled her eyes at his emphasis on talk. "No, a talk. You know, a discussion?"

Q'to shrugged. "Okay."

"Save it for the bedroom," Alfred called. "You're falling behind."

"How does he know?"

"We're not exactly secretive about it," Q'to said. "I am sure even 'Ramos has caught on."

"We don't make it_ obvious_, either," she said quietly as they caught up.

"Don't be so sure, Staff Sergeant," Q'rik said as he took up position in the back of the group. "Remember that I am only _half _blind."

Toma threw up a fist from his spot at the front. "They have their tanks facing up each street."

"Just the streets facing west?" Toma nodded. "Then we should attack them from the direction they will least expect. Colonel."

_"Yes, 'Ramos?"_

"Is air support a possibilty?"

There was a pause before Nazo answered. _"Only for a short time. Why?"_

"I suggest we make this music fitting to the situation. Call in a strafing run on their tanks, then assault their troops while we do the same. They will be stuck in the middle."

_"Not the best of plans, but it's better than what we are doing now. Gunnery Sergeant, call in the gunships."_

"Now, we wait." Not seventy seconds had passed before the sound of rotary turbine engines filtered out the music.

"What is that?" E'ros said over the approaching noise.

"Two of the UNSC's newest assault/support aircraft, Corporal. The Rhino gunship."

"What is a 'Rhino'?"

"An endangered animal," Alfred said. "It may appear to be big and slow, but it can outrun you _and _pack one hell of a punch."

E'ros peeked around the building and espied the aircraft, and they were as Alfred had described; big and they didn't look aerodynamic in the slightest. "It has notches cut into the body that causes the air moving past to swirl around, pushing it forward."

"Much like a truck and it's tailgate," Alfred said, trying to simplify Q'rik's description.

"You lost me at 'truck'."

Alfred sighed. "Never mind. Just keep watching."

E'ros blinked as the aircraft swooped down to the rooftops, which was roughly three hundred feet in this area of the city. "Now I see what you mean," he said, noticing how quickly they moved at this altitude. He hissed as they unleashed a portion of their payload with a violent _screech_ on the first four Scorpions from three blocks away. "What the hell are they armed with?"

"Two M217 "Wasp" missile pods, which were what they just used. Two 105mm HEAT missile pods. Two M340 cannons, which fire 120mm rounds, and a M1024 mounted on the underside," Q'rik listed.

"Damn," Alfred muttered. "That's just overkill."

"If you would rather go head-to-head with those tanks, be my guest."

"Yeah, no."

When the aircraft had finished their work, one of the pilots came over the comm. _"Get some. Good luck out there, fellas. We're RTB."_

"Ready when you are, Colonel." Q'rik nodded to Q'to after the comm link suddenly closed. "Short, controlled bursts." Q'to nodded and crouch-ran around the corner, firing seven round bursts as he moved. "We have their attention, let's go!" As Q'to got into cover, the others ran up the street, picking off targets at random.

"You eight, go." Nazo turned back to the Gunnery Sergeant after the selected squad had run past. "That was an impressive display."

"Yeah, helluva field test."

"Field test?"

"Well, yeah. They're just prototypes, man."

"Can it carry troops?"

"Sure can. Ten men, plus the pilots. Why do you ask?"

Nazo smirked and waved Sean over. "Do you have a third aircraft?"

"Yeah." He then saw Sean stop before Nazo and give a quick salute, the latter returning it. "It's in the hanger, this way," he said as he began walking.

"What're we doin'?"

"_You _are going to take one of these new aircraft, a Rhino they called it, and support our counter-assault."

Sean nodded upon seeing the aircraft. "I see that tanks can fly now," he commented, causing Nazo to look down at him. "It'll be a walk in the park, sir. I _am_ the best, after all."

Nazo chuckled. "Have fun, Bradley."

"Oh, I will. I'm going to need a co-pilot."

"That's what I'm here for," the Gunnery Sergeant said, opening the craft's rear hatch. "I'm the flight instructor for these monsters. Folks 'round here call me Goomba."

"Sean," he said as they shook hands. "Let's tear it up, shall we?"

"Damn straight. Once we're in the air Colonel, I'll give the order to the Marines."

"I shall do the same with the local SAF troops. I will also call out sniper positions, when I am able."

Sean whistled as he settled into his seat, looking over the controls. "A Pelican has more shit to deal with than this," he said into his headset.

_"You can thank our Elite friends and their Engineers for that. Begin pre-flight check."_

"Fuel, full. All ammo counts are green. Engines, green. All systems are online," Sean said as he mechanically flipped switches and pressed buttons. "You have control of the guns, Goomba."

_"Copy that. ROE?"_

"Fire at will. Just let me worry about the flyin'." Sean gave a thumbs-up to a Marine in the hangar, the latter returning it and hopping into the tow vehicle. As they were taxied down the tarmac, "Beginning final flight preparations now. Weapons calibrated?"

_"Working on that now...done. We're good to go."_

Sean switched to the tow vehicle's comm channel. "Engines are hot. We clear?"

_"Affirmative. Callsign?"_

"Romeo-85."

_"Give 'em hell, Eight-Five."_

"If I had a credit for every time I heard that line," Sean muttered as he slowly pulled back on the throttle, causing the turbines to spin faster with a satisfying whine.

As they flew over the compound's wall, _"Turn on the loudspeaker." _Sean turned and nodded upon finding the correct switch. _"Time to earn your pay, Marines! Send 'em runnin'!"_

"More enemy armor, eleven o'clock."

_"I see 'em. Get us closer." _Sean grinned and pushed the cyclic stick, the Rhino pitching forward in response. _"Hmm, what to use..."_

"Infantry around that armor. Use the Wasps."

_"Buh-bye." _Ten rockets screamed from their tubes, five from either side. Several enemy troops and the APC they were supporting were obliterated as the payload hit it's mark.

"Kills confirmed. Nice shootin'." As he banked back around for another pass, he glanced over each rooftop. "Hostiles are pouring outta there. Hit 'em with the 120."

_"You got it."_

Q'to watched as the third Rhino flawlessy took out it's targets. "Bradley must be flying that one."

"No doubt," Alfred agreed.

"Who is Bradley?"

"Our pilot. Bastard could fly a Wraith if he really wanted to."

"He might as well be flying a tank right now," Ar'n said.

"It only looks like a tank."

"Shit," Toma suddenly yelled. "Incoming!" Everyone instinctively threw up an arm as stray 120mm rounds struck the wall next to them, sending debris flying outwards. "Watch it, Eight-Five!"

_"All blame goes to Goomba back here."_

"Nice shootin', Tex," Alfred said in a stereotypical southern accent.

_"Sorry 'bout that. And I'm from New York."_

"Well, excuse me. Try shooting at the bad guys next time?"

_"Can do, Frenchie. Would you like me to kill them before or after you surrender?"_

"Surrender? Funny."

"They are pinned, let's move," Q'rik called.

"I'm out!"

"Last one, Toma! Make it count," Ar'n called, tossing a magazine.

"Shoot and scoot, two by two!"

As they continued to push up the street, E'ros looked over his shoulder upon hearing catepillar tracks on the pavement. "APC on our ass!"

"Not for long," Alfred called as they all dove for cover. He pulled one of several detonators from his harness and depressed the trigger. "Who knew an APC could be such a good roadblock?"

"Keep moving!" Q'rik fired a burst from his Type 25 DER as a small group of soldiers exited a building with their backs turned. As the last in the group turned at hearing his comrade's screams, the rifle buzzed and went dead. "Damn it," he said. Time seemed to slow as he tossed the dead rifle away and reached for the M90 magnetically clipped to his back, the soldier raising his rifle at the same time. They fired simultaneously, the 8-guage slug ripping through the man's chest. As he fell, his finger clenched on the trigger, sending rounds into Q'rik's gut and chest plate.

"'Ramos is down!"

"Q'to, move him out of the street and hold your position," Ahli called. "Everyone else, keep going!"

"Toma, take this," Q'to said, handing over his MG4.

"What about you?"

"I still have plenty of ammo for my sidearm...and this shotgun will have to do."

"We'll be back, brother."

Q'to chuckled. "You better." As the others ran off, he knelt next to Q'rik and doffed the assault helmet, doing the same with his own. "This may sting."

The Ultra spat a glob of blood into the dirt. "Just do it." Q'rik hissed as Q'to stuck a claw into one of the wounds and began feeling for one of the rounds.

"That's one," he said, dropping the deformed slug.

"Don't remind me."

After 45 minutes had passed, eight bullets lay on the ground. "That's the best I can do without having to cut you open. I'll get us a vehicle."

"Be quick about it."

Q'to slowly stuck his head around the corner and scanned his surroundings, the only noise coming from the burning APC and sporadic gunfire coming from the UNSC compound's direction. He quickly retreated back into the alley as footsteps and Vietnamese-speaking voices approached. He watched from the shadows as the two soldiers slowly passed, chatting idly. Seeing an opprotunity, he glanced around the corner in the direction they had come from, and upon seeing no other enemies, began following them. He picked up a stone and tossed it at them, quickly hiding in a doorway as it bounced off of one's helmet. His translator, being in range, began transmitting their conversation.

_"There's someone in there."_

_"Well, go check it out. Make it quick, don't want to miss the show."_

_"Show?" _he thought as the footsteps moved apart, one set coming closer. As the man stepped into the doorway and clicked on a flashlight, Q'to quickly grabbed his right arm and broke it in three places as he twisted. He grabbed the rifle and yanked on it, snapping a link for the weapon's strap and pointed it at the soldier, who whimpered and backed up against the wall holding his arm; the action took no more than three seconds. "I know you can understand me. What did your friend mean by 'show'?" he said in English.

"Why should I tell you anything, Elite?" the man spat.

"Maybe you will get to live to see your family again. Do you have a family?" The man nodded. "A wife? Children?"

"Yes, two children."

"Do you want them to grow up without you?" The man shook his head. "Then, what was your friend talking about?"

"He was...he was talking about our reinforcements. You thought that we had armor _before_..."

"What kind of armor?"

"Heavy tanks, APCs, IFVs, all kinds of stuff."

"Turn around and walk outside. You're going to take me to them."

"You're either one crazy or one stupid Elite."

"Shut up and move."

Q'to guessed that they had walked all of five miles before the soldier stopped. "Just over that hill. They're still waiting for the order to mobilize."

"I highly doubt they will get it. Now, wait here," Q'to said, knocking the man unconscious. He peered over the hill and grinned at seeing his prize; an APC parked a little too far away from the others.

"Garek, give me a boost," Paul said once they stood before a high wall. Garek lifted Paul's left foot while the man grabbed onto a ledge. "I've got it. Thanks." Once he was on top, he pulled the knife from his boot and expertly threw it into a guard's head. "Clear up here. Ro, you come up next and help Garek."

"Step one," Rotje mumbled as he placed a foot into Garek's hands.

"Infiltration," Garek mumbled back.

"Are you two really reciting the 'steps'? I thought I was a good teacher," Paul said in mock disappointment.

"Just trying to keep my thoughts off other things," Rotje shrugged.

"Such as?"

"How the others are doing...other, more personal, things."

"Just count to ten on your fingers. Wait...my bad."

"You've been around us for how long?"

"Let's just do this and get the hell out of here," Garek interjected.

"What he said. Now, who wants to go first?"

"I would hate to put it this way, but you're the shortest one here."

"I'm also the highest rank, so you just volunteered."

"What happened to you?" Rotje murmured as he dropped from the eleven foot wall.

"What we're doing here is important, Rotje," Garek said, landing softly beside him. "And you _know _why he is acting this way."

"Yeah..."

"Let's go, ladies," Paul said after landing on Rotje's other side. "We have a kidnapping bitch to kill."

"Ladies?"

"Just move your ass," Paul sighed. "Some time today, please."

Garek shrugged when Rotje looked over at him with a strange look. "He'll be back to his old self once we are through here."

"I hope so. I don't like _this _Captain Fulmer."

"You'll manage," Garek said, scanning the top of the wall, windows, and open doors as he passed them. "What is this place, anyway?"

"Các miệng của con sư tử," Paul said.

"What?"

"I guess now is a bad time to say I can speak Vietnamese. I said The Mouth of the Lion. It's an old NVA base which serves as the entrance to the network of tunnels still running through this mountain, hence the name."

"Interesting. Now, where are we going?"

"Kirkendall is in there somewhere," he shrugged, turning around afterward. "And I'm not leaving until she's dead."

"This is going to take a while," Rotje thought aloud.

_"Maybe it won't have to. Captain, I think we can make a deal."_

"Play along. Trust me," Paul signed, Garek and Rotje nodding. "What kind of deal?"

_"One that gets you Hanna back and gets rid of me in the process."_

"That _is _tempting...let's do it."

_"I knew you would be reasonable. I'll have the guards fetch you in a few moments. They won't harm you."_

Suddenly, ten heavily-armored ODSTs decloaked and pointed their rifles at them. "Good morning, fellas."

"Move."

"Ro, do as they say," Paul said as Rotje hesitated.

Rotje sighed and slung his rifle across his back as he began walking.

"What are these two? Your Elite bitches?"

"No, they're actually good friends of mine. You know, if I remember correctly, it was humanity who took my daughter. Hmm, strange."

"Why do you say that?"

"Even given our past history, I can trust these two more than I can Kirkendall. And I knew her just as long."

"Well, it looks like you were wrong."

"Yes, I was. You do know that you've already lost since this is happening, correct?"

"I don't think so."

"Hmm. Your devotion to the 'cause' is admirable, but foolish. If you weren't losing, Kirkendall would have ordered you to kill us back outside," Paul said as they entered a lift.

"We have a few tricks left up our sleeves."

"Like your siege of this city? Or the coup back in Arkansas? Yeah, those were brilliant."

"Glad you think so, asshole," another ODST spat. "Too bad you won't get to see the next one."

"Yeah, it's a shame," Paul returned sarcastically. After the lift reached one of the lower levels, their rifles were finally taken away before they were led down a corridor with cedar-lined walls. "I bet this was expensive."

"Like you wouldn't believe," Kirkendall said from behind them. "You can leave now, Lieutenant Chambers."

"Ma'am, they still have-"

"I'm well aware of that," she interrupted. "We're here to make a deal, not take them prisoner. Go inside you three, have a seat."

Paul sat before a large oak table while Garek and Rotje stood off to either side of him. "We'll stand," Garek said as he folded his arms behind his back.

"Suit yourselves. Now, the deal."

"I want to see her, first."

"Of course." She pressed a button on her PDA and a portion of the wall slid away, revealing the little girl on the other side. "Stand by your father."

"I'll be with you in a moment," Paul said softly before she could hug him. "Garek, Ro, take her outside and wait."

"But-"

"Go."

"Yes sir. Come on, young one."

"Such loyalty. You must have had to do a lot to gain their trust. Let's deal."

Garek heard the button on Paul's holster pop before the man said, "Do you like to play games, Jennifer?" Even after the door had closed, he could still hear them.

"I do."

"Lets play one, shall we? An old one that I've always wanted to try." Garek and Rotje glanced at each other. _"I said outside." _

"We are outside."

_"You're not getting me, Garek. I mean _outside_."_

Garek sighed and began walking back towards the lift. "We need to go back topside, Captain's order," he said as the guard tensed. The ODST keyed a code into the pad beside the door, unlocking them.

"Have a nice day," he said with heavy sarcasm.

"You too."

"Who are you?" Hanna said timidly as the lift slowly rose.

"Two friends of your father. I am Garek, and that is Rotje."

"Rotje," the girl said slowly.

"You can just call me Ro."

"Do you know why he wanted me to come with you?"

Garek knelt down and looked her in the face. "Your father is doing this world a favor, a necessary evil."

"Am I going to see him again?"

"Do you want the truth?" A nod. "It's...not likely." He stood as the child turned her back, shaking his head afterward.

"Garek, take the child to safety. I'll make sure the Captain makes it out of here," Rotje whispered in their native tongue as the lift slowed.

"Going back down there would be suicide, Rotje."

"I know what I signed up for. It's not like we haven't been through hell and back before."

Garek chuckled. "See you back at the compound. Let's go, child."

"He's not coming?"

"He has to do something before he leaves. It will not take long."

_**Local Time: 11:47 Hours**_

Q'rik weakly raised his sidearm as an APC rolled to a stop outside his hiding place.

"Were you expecting someone else?" a familiar voice said.

"Specialist 'Ovus?"

"The very same."

"Where are you?"

"Right in front of you...can you see?"

Q'rik blinked several times, just now noticing that his world had gone completely black. "No."

"We need to hurry, then," Q'to said, helping him up and slinging an arm over his shoulders. "By the Gods, your skin is like ice."

"Severe blood loss tends to do that," Q'rik mumbled. "What took you so long?"

"Had to go a long way to get a vehicle." Q'to opened the rear hatch with his free arm. "Watch your head. Oh, and it's going to be _very _cramped inside."

"I'll manage," came the quiet response. Before Q'to closed the hatch, he checked Q'rik's vitals for the fifth time on his HUD.

_"I _really _need to hurry." _He put the APC in gear and floored the accelerator, causing the vehicle to lurch forward and quickly pick up speed. Even though his vision was extremely limited due to his size inside the cramped cockpit, he still managed to avoid destroyed vehicles and large piles of rubble.

"Enemy vehicle on approach," a Marine called.

"Take it out!"

"No," Nazo said. "My HUD is indicating allied forces within."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure." Nazo activated his comm, placing it on a TRF channel. "APC approaching Sector Zero-Seven-Three, identify yourself."

_"Specialist 'Ovus at your service. Get the doctors ready, sir."_

"Are you injured?"

_"Negative. 'Ramos is severely wounded."_

"Copy that, Specialist." Nazo looked to a Marine and said, "Fetch a SAF field doctor."

"Medic! We have an Elite medic?"

After Q'to crawled out of the APC, he waved the medic over. "Where is he wounded?"

"Chest and abdomen, ma'am. Several gunshot wounds and he's lost a lot of blood. I removed most of the rounds before I moved him." She paled slightly as Q'to placed Q'rik on the waiting stretcher. "Yeah, it's pretty bad. Will he make it?" The medic didn't respond as she quickly hauled the stretcher toward the nearby medical wing. "Very reassuring," he mumbled at her back.

"Good thinking, Specialist," Nazo said. "If you had waited for the others to return, he would likely be dead."

"I guess now would be a bad time to say there's more where that came from?" Q'to said, indicating the APC.

"What do you mean?"

Q'to sighed. "They have more armor waiting about seven miles out, to the northeast."

"I doubt they will receive the order to move, Q'to." They turned upon hearing the voice. "Colonel, you look like hammered shit."

Nazo crossed his arms in disapproval. "Is there any sense in using such language in such young company, Lieutenant?"

Garek looked down and sighed. "I forgot she was even there."

Hanna quickly looked around upon hearing someone laugh nearby. "Sean!"

The Irishman turned and smiled. "There's the little devil! C'mere girl, I've got something to show ya."

"Where is Captain Fulmer and First Sergeant 'Tsom?"

"The Mouth of the Lion."

"And that is where?" Garek simply pointed over his shoulder at the mountain in the distance. "Are they still alive?"

"I'm not sure."

"What do you-"

"What do you think I mean?" Garek suddenly spat. "I don't know."

"Don't take that tone with me."

"Or what?" Garek was suddenly in his face. "Look around you, Nazo. All of the bullshit that happened today is _our _fault."

"I suggest you get out of my face, Lieutenant," Nazo said calmly.

"Make me," Garek growled.

Ar'n slowly pulled Garek away. "Excuse us, sir?" Nazo turned and walked off. "Walk with me." After they had found a vacant area within the compound, Ar'n stopped. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

Garek sighed, his mood slightly improving. "I'm tired, Ar'n. Tired of fighting all the time and never seeing any good come out of it."

"No good? I think it's _you _who needs to take a look around. I thought it would be you asking me this, but, do you not get it? In war, everyone loses a great deal before they get anything good in return."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Paul and Rotje are probably dead because I left them back there."

"Yes, but what about his daughter? Without you, how would she have gotten to safety?" Garek looked across the compound to the hangar where Hanna was walking around a Rhino with their pilot. "They will make it, Garek; we've been through worse. I _know _you remember the Ark."

"Yes, but we were all together then."

"Just have a little faith."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that? Having faith does _not _save lives. It does _not _bring people back from the dead. It does _not _get the job done."

"It's not meant to. It's meant to help you get the job done, to help you move on after a friend or loved one dies. And don't say you don't believe in anything, because you would be lying," Ar'n said as Garek was about to speak. "They will make it," he repeated.

"Maybe."

"That's more like it. Now, let's get ready in case we have another fight on our hands."

"You go on ahead, I have to do something first," Garek said, walking for the hangar. "Bradley!"

"What?" Garek waved him over. "What is it?"

"If the Captain doesn't make it back..."

"I know, I said I would if anything happened to him."

"Good. Get her out of here, somewhere that's _actually _safe."

Sean nodded. "Can do. What about you guys?"

Garek shrugged. "You know where to find us."

_**Date: Thursday, September 29, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 04:00 Hours**_

Garek yawned when he paused in his patrol. The remainder of the previous day had been uneventful; as he had predicted, the armor column had never been given the order to move and was obliterated that night. He slowly shook his head and sighed, remembering that Paul and Rotje hadn't returned. He raised his rifle as someone approached from behind.

"Whoa. Calm down, Garek."

"Rotje?"

"No, I'm the Prophet of Truth," he said sarcastically. "Of course it's me."

"Where is the Captain?" Garek saw him lower his head in the dim moonlight.

"He didn't make it out. They set a bomb off before the lift even reached the bottom level. I had to climb my way out of there."

"You sound as if you don't care that he is gone."

Rotje looked back up, his face hard. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me."

"He was a friend of mine as much as he was one of yours, and you think I don't care? I will have you know that I am _very _pissed off about the whole situation. I say we get our gear and leave this place. Our mission is done."

"You're sure he is dead?" Garek said after a pause.

"_Nothing _could have survived that blast. I was lucky to even get out of that damn lift."

Garek sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Let's report to Nazo, then."

"You do it, I'm going to get some damn sleep. Wake me when we get ready to leave."

A short walk later, Garek entered the command center, finding that Nazo was _still _awake and coordinating counterattacks on remaining enemy strongholds. "Sir."

"What do you want, Lieutenant?"

"First Sergeant 'Tsom just made it back."

Nazo looked up from the map. "And the Captain?"

"Dead."

Nazo shook his head. "Mission objectives?"

"All complete."

"Then I suppose our time here is finished. Have everyone ready to leave in three hours."

"I'll make it two." Nazo nodded and returned to the map, Garek making his leave soon afterward.


	18. Epilogue: A Flame Rekindled

_Epilogue: A Flame Rekindled_

_**Location: Interrogation Room #36, Orbital MAC Station "Cairo"**_

_**Date: Thursday, December 22, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 14:27 Hours**_

"Well, that's it."

"You're sure that Captain Paul Fulmer died there?"

"Does it look like I'm lying?"

"No," the officer said, typing the information into a datapad. "Okay, some details I didn't need, others I just didn't want to hear."

Garek shrugged, knowing what he was talking about. "You wanted details, that's what you got."

"You can go now, Lieutenant."

"Finally," Garek muttered, stretching as he stood. After he had walked outside, he answered his chatter as it chimed. "Hello?"

_"What did you tell them?"_

Garek looked around. "Who is this?"

_"That's not important right now. Meet me at the address I sent, and I'll explain everything."_

"Could I at least get your name?"

_"I'll be waiting for you."_

"The hell?" he thought aloud as the link went dead.

_**Location: Tucson, Arizona**_

_**Date: Saturday, December 31, 2560**_

_**Local Time: 18:06 Hours**_

"They said this was the place," Garek said, stopping before the gate to a cemetary.

"Who did?"

Garek didn't answer as he walked up the sidewalk toward the the small two-story house. He turned around after knocking on the front door. "All I know is they wanted to talk to me personally."

"So, you have no idea?"

"No."

Shara sighed as the door opened, revealing a short female Sangheili. "Yes? Oh, I was just waiting for you." The woman looked up and down the street before closing the door. "Welcome to my home. It isn't much, but it's mine."

"What is this about?" Shara said as they sat in the living area.

"This is about Captain Fulmer and his whereabouts."

"Whereabouts? He's dead," Garek said.

"That's where you would be wrong, Lieutenant," she smiled. "I am-"

"Yelana!"

Garek stood as he recognized the voice. "Yes, dear?"

"Who's here? I didn't know we were having company," Paul finished slowly as he came into view. "Oh...hey Garek."

"Captain," he returned evenly.

"Don't be like that. I had to do what I did to protect all of you."

Garek scoffed. "Who is protecting _you_?"

"I am," Yelana proclaimed. "You see, what Paul did put him rather high on ONI's...what did you call it?"

"Shit list," Garek and Paul said simultaneously.

"Ah, yes, the 'shit list'. Anyway, him being declared KIA by your superior threw ONI off of his trail. He has been digging up dirt on them ever since."

"Well, I did have help."

"Help? Hell, I did all of the work," Ar'n scoffed lightly, leaning against the wall; Garek hadn't seen him there before.

"Ar'n, where did you come from?"

"I've been here the whole time," he said as his body began to blend in with the walls. "I never thought I would say this, but I like active camouflage."

"How long have you known?"

"Since I met Yelana back in October. She asked me if I had ever heard of a Captain Fulmer...if only you could have seen the look on my face."

"So, you've been alive this whole time and told none of us about it?"

"That about sums it up. As I said, it was to protect you all; ONI does not discriminate when it comes to the people they kill."

"Who knew besides Rotje?"

"Sean, Nazo, Yelana, and Ar'n. Now you and Shara know, as will the others...in due time."

"Why keep us in the dark about this? You know we would have helped you."

"Oh, you all needed a break. I know you, especially, were tired of the constant traveling and fighting. And, with me being the troublemaker I am, you would have never seen an end to it."

Garek looked to Ar'n, the latter taking on a ''Yeah, so?'' look. "I was tired of the fighting, but it's in my blood. I'm a warrior...it's all I know."

"That's bullshit, Garek. You're not some stupid barbarian who thinks his sole purpose in life is to fight. You have the will, the intellect, and the means to lead the squad without me."

"I never wanted to be a leader," he said bitterly.

"The best leaders never do," Paul returned. "I understand your bitterness, but I don't really care. My decision was for the good of everyone else... Do you still trust me?"

Garek averted his gaze before nodding slowly. "Definitely."

"I knew you would," Paul smiled. "Now, I want you to call a meeting with the squad." Garek nodded before Paul added, "Speaking of which, I heard Foxtrot merged with us."

"Under Rtas' request, yes."

"Good, I like them. They're young and ambitious, but they're also smart."

"Very much so," Ar'n agreed. "I've been helping Toma with his recon work; he learns fast."

"Then, I want him helping you with our little deal."

"Yes sir. When should I tell him?"

"You won't have to, that's what the meeting is about."

Ar'n lightly hit himself on the forehead with a fist. "Of course, Ar'n. Idiot," he murmured.

"And another thing; yes, I have a Sangheili wife. That was a rocky road."

"But a short one," Yelana smiled down at him.

"Much like yourself," he snickered.

"Says the human. I'm still taller than you."

"I don't mind," he shrugged. "It makes things that much more...erm, challenging."

_**Location: Briefing room, SAF Military Installation #1587**_

_**Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2561**_

_**Local Time: 12:30 hours**_

"What is this about?" Ahli said impatiently from her seat.

"You will see in a moment, First Sergeant," Nazo said. All attention went to the door as someone rapped on it three times. "Enter. Ah Mrs. 'B'aen, what brings you here?"

"Well sir, it has come to my attention that a certain someone would like to join this squad."

"Hmm, is that so? And who is this soldier?"

"Oh, come now, Colonel," a human said from behind Yelana. "Who do you think it is?"

"Captain Fulmer?" Q'to said in disbelief. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Supposed to, yes, but here I am. I've looked death in the face and sent him running in terror," Paul smirked. "You know, a simple 'welcome back' or 'how are you?' would have been nice."

"Excuse us if we're not _thrilled_ to see you," E'ros spat. "I doubt any of us appreciate being lied to about something like that."

"The only thing that has me agitated about this whole thing is...well, I have personal matters to attend to," Ahli said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What kind of personal matters, First Sergeant? If you had said something, I would have excused you."

"I... have a bonding ceremony to prepare for."

Nazo's head reared back slightly. "Do you?"

"You're the only one who didn't know?" Q'to said.

"I knew you two were courting, that much was obvious. The marriage on the other hand...no. Congratulations to both of you."

"Thank you. Now I just need to tell the Spartan..."

"Do _not _invite him," Q'to said haltingly.

"Why not?"

"Because, he's rude and inconsiderate."

"If we could stay on topic, please," Nazo said. "So Captain, do you have any information to give us?"

"As a matter of fact, I have a _lot _of information to give you, and perhaps more later." Paul looked pointedly to Ar'n.

"My associates are still working on it," he said. "The device is proving to be troublesome."

"Tell them to take their time, figure out how the thing actually works before trying to unlock its secrets. Here is everything I've gathered, with the Staff Sergeant's help," Paul finished, handing a datapad to Nazo.

"I'm sure our governments will appreciate it greatly, Captain. So, when will you be ready to begin operations again?"

"As soon as everyone else is."

Nazo grinned. "Excellent. I have a mission already lined out for all of you."

"Oh, do tell."


End file.
